| In order to be the next great hockey player, you have | | | | mistakes and failure is lurking around every corner. |
| to be willing to work hard. But it is even more important | | | | You always have the choice to take the easy road or |
| that you are willing to fail. And I'm not just talking about | | | | take the much more challenging path to success. |
| making the occasional mistake. I am talking about the | | | | Remember this quote, "If you do what you've always |
| "fall down flat on your face type of failure". | | | | done, you are going to get what you've always had". In |
| There is nothing worth achieving that comes easy. | | | | order to get more out of yourself and take your game |
| Those players who have reached the highest levels of | | | | to the next level, you have to be willing to fail. Every |
| hockey have gotten there because of their willingness | | | | time you fail, you have an great opportunity to learn |
| to challenge themselves today to be better than they | | | | from your mistakes and become a better player. You |
| were yesterday. | | | | might fall flat on your face 9 times out of 10. But that |
| You have to push the envelope and put yourself out | | | | one time where you succeed will be well worth it. |
| on the line each and every day in order to get better. | | | | Don't be scared of failing. Be scared of not improving. |
| That doesn't mean that you need to be training every | | | | Be scared of being the exact same calibre of player |
| minute of every day, but you do need to be pushing | | | | this season as you were last year. |
| yourself as hard as you possibly can when you are | | | | Are you willing to put yourself in a position where you |
| training on and off the ice in order to really improve. | | | | might fail? Or are you happy to just do what you've |
| You are going to have bad games. There are going to | | | | always done and just go along for the ride? If you |
| be years where you miss the playoffs. There are | | | | want to take your game to the next level and become |
| going to be times that you try out a new move and it | | | | the next great hockey player, you need to have a plan |
| fails miserably. There are going to be off-ice training | | | | for how you are going to push the envelope, to put |
| sessions where you feel weak, tired and just plain | | | | yourself out on a limb day after day and risk complete |
| uncoordinated. At some point in your hockey career, | | | | and utter failure. If you are willing to take the risk, the |
| you are going to get cut. Hockey is a game of | | | | reward will be well worth it. |