Feature Story
The most dangerous 4-letter word in girls’
hockey
By Kim McCullough, MSc, YCS
I’m already seeing a disturbing pattern
emerge with many of the girls’ hockey players I am working with this season –
and the regular season hasn’t even started yet. Whether during practices, games
or off-ice training, every single day I hear players saying the most dangerous
four-letter word in girls hockey…CAN’T.
“I can’t crossover that way.”
“I can’t shoot a backhand.”
“I can’t do push-ups.”
To be honest, “can’t” is one of the most
frustrating words to a coach. It’s not that the players can’t do the skills at
all – they just can’t do them as well as they would like to be able to quite
yet. As soon as a player uses the word “can’t,” they are giving themselves
permission to underachieve. After all, if they already know they can’t do it,
why even try?
I always ask my players to think back to
when they first starting playing hockey. Back then, they really couldn’t do
much of anything. But they didn’t put themselves down constantly by saying that
they couldn’t do anything. They kept trying to skate, stop and shoot until they
could do it.
But now that they have been playing for a
while, they expect much more from themselves and get frustrated that they
aren’t as good as they would like to be and often get stuck in the negative
state of mind. Lack of confidence is by far the biggest problem among girls’
hockey players. And I simply won’t allow players to chip away at their
confidence by using negative language.
Ideally, they wouldn’t use the word
“can’t” at all. But I know, having been a young female hockey player who held myself to a very high standard, that the journey towards
positive thinking can be a long one.
That’s why I start off small with my
players. Every time I hear them use the word “can’t,” I make them to add a very
powerful word to the end of the sentence…YET.
“I can’t do crossovers that way…YET.”
“I can’t shoot a backhand…YET.”
“I can’t do push-ups….YET.”
It’s a small step in the right direction,
but it will make a huge difference in the long run. After all, confidence and
self-esteem aren’t built in a day.
If you are a girls’ hockey coach or
parent, please try this strategy out with your players. Remember – every little
bit of positivity helps.
You can get complete access to Coach
Kim’s articles, videos, interviews and advice on how to take your game to the
next level at www.totalfemalehockeyclub.com.
Kim McCullough, MSc, YCS, is an expert in the
development of aspiring female hockey players.
She is a former Division I captain and played in the National Women’s
Hockey League for six years. She is currently the Girls Hockey Director at the
PEAC School for Elite Athletes in Toronto and is the Founder of Total Female
Hockey.
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