You may be the best player on your local team, but as you move up into the elite level’s of women’s hockey, there is only so much room at the top. How do you deal with going from being a female hockey superstar to a fourth liner?

Every player on every National team is a superstar on her own team back home. They are the “go to” players who the coach puts out for the last 2 minutes of the game when everything is on the line. They aren’t used to sitting on the bench in critical situations, but that is the reality at the highest levels of women’s hockey.

Bringing together 20 superstars onto one team means that sometimes you going to have to play a role that you’re just not used to. Instead of being the great goal scorer, you might have to focus on being a great fore-checker or a great penalty killer.

The key is to embrace your new role and play it to the absolute best of your ability.

No one ever said the road to the top was going to be easy. Your confidence and your ego are going to take some serious hits along the way.

You’ve got to earn your spot each and every time you move up to the next level. You have to be patient and wait for your shot. In the meantime, you’ve got to out-hustle, out-work and “out-want” your competition.

Remember that there are only 2 things that you have control over out on the ice – your work ethic and your attitude. If you work harder than everyone else and stay positive even when things are tough, you will get your shot at being the superstar again.

Will you be ready when that opportunity comes?

How are you going to prepare yourself mentally and physically to go from the fourth to first line?

~ Coach Kim