Hockey parents are typically known for their large SUVs and competitive attitudes in the stands. These are traits that make up many hockey parents across America. But what if you wanted to be more than just an average hockey parent? What if you could train yourself to become an elite hockey parent? Often parents just drop their players off at practice but do little to improve upon their own ability to be the most elite hockey parent in the rink. Below are some tips for hockey parents looking to rise the ranks in elite hockey parenting.
Encourage multisport athletes
As a hockey parent, it’s important for you to understand how much hockey is enough. When it comes to choosing sports to introduce to your children, pick sports that have distinct off-seasons and adhere to them. To have a well-rounded athlete, children need to be introduced to a variety of sports. This variety creates movement variability, which allows the body to progressively develop by introducing new stimuli. These new stimuli give young athletes a greater bank of experience to draw upon when placed in similar situations. Children with high experience levels in many sports have an easier time learning new skills. If you’re a parent who signs their children up for year-round, competition-driven hockey programs, you’re not elite.
Highlight life lessons through sport
Important lessons such as learning how to win and lose appropriately, working hard and learning how to operate as a team should be highlighted as a parent. These are the life skills that youth athletes are fortunate enough to learn and should be the primary focus of youth sports. Investing time as a parent to reinforce these important lessons will pay off in your child’s future. Ultimately, a player with good work ethic and a sense of responsibility is better off in the long run. As an elite parent, focus on the character-building opportunities in youth sports.
Create positive incentives (reward non-scoresheet stats)
Parents and coaches place a large emphasis on winning youth hockey games. Parents shift their thinking to believe that the outcome on the scoreboard indicates the success of the game. Some of the best life lessons can be taught in the game of hockey. Use practice and games to reward players who work hard the entire duration, who back up his or her teammate when they get beat, or who show good sportsmanship to their opponent. Elite hockey parents go out of their way to comment on specific instances where a player demonstrates good habits, without talking about the stat sheets.
Promote healthy nutritional choices and proper rest to promote recovery
Parents typically play a major role when it comes to enforcing healthy habits regarding nutrition and sleep. It’s common knowledge that eating a nutritionally sound diet can have positive effects on your health. However, many players and parents lack the ability to apply this concept. Start with educating yourself as parents on what healthy eating means. The abstract concept of "eating healthy" can have several different meanings, but people typically can identify similar concepts that fall under this category. If you do not know where to start, seek out a professional, and ask your children what they think eating healthy means to them.
Once you have basic principles down, work on improving your own diet. Children pick up habits by watching. If they see you making it a priority to eat healthy, there is a greater chance they will start making healthier food choices. The same goes for sleep habits. Make sure to educate your player on the importance of sleep. Sleep is a huge factor that can make or break a young players’ ability to play the game. Elite hockey parents make sure to create a consistent bed time that encourages players to get a minimum eight hours rest.
Academics come first
That’s right parent, academics come first. Make sure that your student-athlete understands the importance of doing well in school. Set academic standards and hold players accountable. While most youth players dream of putting on an NHL jersey, only a small percent make it to the top. Teaching youth hockey players to compete both in school and on the ice stacks the deck in their favor and will only help create options for their future.
If your athlete has potential to become a top-level player, he or she should still not deviate from the foundations discussed. In fact, players with a higher skill-set will need more elite hockey parents to help them stay on track.
It is easy to get caught up in the excitement of your child competing, but remember, hockey is a game. Don’t let the game disguise the true meaning of youth hockey.
