You are the one who has complete control over your success when it comes to reaching your ultimate goals in hockey, school and life.  Your coaches can teach you all the skills, your teachers can give you all the knowledge and your parents can give you all the support you want…
… But YOU are the one who has to walk through the door.

Now, I want to take this idea one step further.

Not only do you have to do the work, you have to truly BELIEVE that you can and will reach your ultimate goals. Your parents can believe in your ability to realize your dreams… So can your teachers, coaches, teammates and friends…

But at the end of the day, the person who has to believe in you most is… YOU.

I am not saying that in order to succeed, you need to have 100% belief in your ability at all times.  Let’s face it, there will be times when you aren’t playing your best and believing that you will reach your big goals seems impossible. We’ve all been through periods of the season where we can’t score a goal as a forward, can’t stop a beachball in net or are getting spun around like a top on 1-on-1s as a defenseman.  We’ve all been there – and we’ll all get there again many times in our hockey careers.

Believing in yourself is easy when you are playing your best. Then it’s easy to have confidence that you’ll reach your goal.

But what about when you hit those bumps in the road? What is going to get you through those tough times?

You must have a plan to deal with the fact that your path to the next level isn’t going to smooth or easy.  It is going to be a hard, bumpy road. What is going to drive you forward when all you seem to be doing is taking steps back?

:::::  Your “WHY” :::::
 

At the Goal Setting & Goal Getting Workshop I ran at the Total Female Hockey Experience Camp this past weekend in Toronto, I asked all of the players to spend one minute writing down answers to these 2 questions…

1. Why do you like playing hockey?
2.  Why do you want to play at the next level (college hockey & national team)?
I’d like you to spend the next few minutes writing down your answers to these questions.  Don’t think too much – just write down whatever  comes to mind.  There are no right or wrong answers.  Everyone plays hockey and pursues playing at the next level for different reasons and those reasons are right for them. These are critical questions to answer as we go into the new season.  WHY are you spending all of this time, energy, and money playing hockey?
 

::: You need to know your “WHY”.

Your WHY explains your passion for the game and for getting better. It’s your WHY that is going to keep you driving forward when things  aren’t always going your way. When you think about WHY you play hockey and why you are pursuing your dream of playing at the next level, you should get excited. Just thinking about it should light a fire inside you. Having a tremendous passion for what you love to do is an extremely personal and emotional thing.

So before the season gets into full swing and you are busy, busy, busy, take a few minutes to answer those 2 questions.  And when you hit a bump in the road (as we all will) make sure to go back to your “WHY” to help you get through the challenges that lay ahead.

Keep Working Hard, Dreaming BIG and Taking Action.

Your friend and coach,

Kim

Kim McCullough, MSc, YCS
CEO, Total Female Hockey
Girls Hockey Director, PEAC School For Elite Athletes
For more information about PEAC, visit: http://totalfemalehockeyclub.com/peac/