Hockey is fun!

I came across this great post and wanted to share it!

I just had a conversation tonight with a buddy coaching D1. He has an 8-year-old that’s a pretty good little player. He’s getting calls from “elite” programs left and right, early Brick stuff, etc… His response to them? Nah, we’re good. He’s already seeing the stress it’s causing other kids and parents who are either going that route or thinking about it.   He wants his kid to have fun and play hockey with his friends, and he knows his son will pass the kids choosing to go that “elite” route in a few years because his kid will love the game, and those kids and families will likely start to get burned out. It’s so bizarre that the research, the data, and the top development people in our game keep pointing us to more community, fun, passion-building multiple sports, etc.…. Yet our sport keeps going in the opposite direction. More elitism, more specialization, more professionalization at younger and younger ages. It’s backwards. For all the parents out there who are struggling with the BS that this time of year brings in youth hockey, with everyone jockeying for positioning for next year even though this year isn’t even close to over… I just thought this might be some perspective that might help.

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