I have this great book called “Simply The Best: Players On Performance”. It’s a compilation of interviews with the best players in the game – from Sidney Crosby and Jarome Iginla to Cassie Campbell and Hayley Wichenheiser. Hayley’s interview was the first one I read and reveals a great deal about what she has done to get at (and stay at) the highest level of women’s hockey in the world and I wanted to share with some of Hayley’s secrets of success with you today.

On Passion and Purpose:
“If you don’t love the game, you can’t be good at it, and I am convinced that you can’t get to that top level without having a purpose, knowing what you are there to do. I think a lot of players don’t know who they are. If you don’t know who you are as a player and your strengths and weaknesses, it is pretty hard to make that next level or get better.”

On Discipline:
“It’s about living a life of excellence daily, not just showing up for games. It’s about how you choose to live every day, how you sleep, how you prepare off the ice and in the off-season and not cutting corners.”

On Confidence:
“Confidence is one of those things that is great when you have it, but hard to get back when you lose it. [Players always say], “The coach isn’t giving me confidence.” I’ve always believed that confidence has to come from within, and when you don’t have it, the best thing to do is to go back to the things you do well and do them a lot…When players lose confidence, they often get caught up in the big things in the game versus just simple passes, great positioning on the ice, and the little details they can pay attention to that can turn their game around. As those things happen, confidence slowly start to come back.”

You heard it right from arguably the best women’s hockey player in the world.

=> Let your passion drive your purpose.

=> Be disciplined and live a life of excellence

=> Build your own confidence.

And of course…

Work Hard and Dream BIG.

~ Coach Kim