In all things there is good, better, best.
What actually makes for good, better, best varies from person to person.
For some of you, owning a Ferrari may be your dream. The power, the look, the looks you will get behind the wheel… it gets your heart pumping.
My Dad drove a 1978 Pontiac Grand Prix…until 1995! To him a car was literally just a vehicle to get him from home to work and back again.
The same goes for your hockey.
Some of you are consumed with playing at the very highest level. Some of you don’t really care that much if you win or lose, your preference is to win of course, but a loss is quickly forgotten after you step out of the arena and into the daylight.
You are happy to be good, which is awesome. Playing simply for the joy of the ‘game’ is the purest form of hockey.
But if you have been bitten by the hockey bug and that passion drives you to be the very best, then you are all in.
Now, watch this video…
I was talking with one of my Turning Pro athletes the other day and he is not what you would call a ‘Blue Chip’ prospect – – most of the guys in that program are not. We were talking about how that really was an advantage because every single player gets to a level where they face challenge (even the Sidney Crosbys).
Those guys who play on your team or in your league that don’t work hard off the ice or even in practice, but have tons of skill and are always selected for the all-star team, breeze through every tryout and get drafted to the OHL or signed to play in the USHL without any problem are going to face adversity for the first time at that higher level – and they will not have any skills to deal with it.
You see it year after year – top draft pick sleeps in the first day of their first NHL prospect camp, first year kid starts a brawl at OHL training camp, your leagues MVP gets sent back to Junior because he is still trying to play “hot dog” hockey with his stick handling tricks on the ice at his first NHL training camp. No tools to cope.
You, my friend are building the tools and I know that it is not fun at times and you wish you were one of those guys with the easy path, but trust me, it pays off in the end. Wherever it takes you, you know that you gave it your all and you suffered for it.
If you are ready to do #WhatItTakes then you probably want to check this out. NOT for everyone – but for the 1%’ers out there, seriously check it out.