Can’t Compete Without Confidence in Hockey Skills

If there is one trait that is purely an enabler of hockey skills, it has to be confidence.  Believing in yourself is essential to success not only in hockey, but in all sports and walks of life.  A scenario that I like to call to reference when speaking to friends about this is as follows:  It’s often advantageous for younger kids to be “the best player” on the team, not so that they get the most points or glory, but so they have an opportunity to build the confidence that comes with fulfilling that particular role.  While being “the second best player” has it perks, I believe that it can also be restrictive in many ways.  As “the second best player”, or another player on the team, you may find yourself throwing the puck to “the best player” more often than not.  There may be a glimmer of hope if you carry the puck, but you can rest assured that if you hand it to the team all-star, he’ll put the biscuit in the net.

Now, think about the responsibility that comes with being the player that everyone turns to when the game is on the line – it’s a high pressure responsibility.  But, at the same time, there is a certain respect that comes with the role.  Becoming that player isn’t just something that happens over night.  In fact, it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to get to that level.  That being said, you can have all of the ability in the world, but without confidence in that ability, you won’t see the results on the ice.  Confidence is something with which players at all levels struggle.  Perhaps you were an advanced player in the last league in which you played, giving you a good deal of confidence.  However, having moved up to the next level, you’re not one of the strongest players, which makes you question the ability that you’ve earned.  It’s truly a tough thing to overcome, but it’s something that must be done.

So, how do we overcome confidence issues?  Well, it’s difficult, yet it’s simple.  Believe in yourself!  Take risks, make mistakes, and as a tribute to Ms. Frizzle, I’ll throw in get messy.  In order to build confidence at a particular level, you have to execute the skills that you’ve developed over the years.  You have to commit fully to the move, or the pass, or the shot – not just go halfway.  Hesitation is detrimental to developing confidence, because if you hesitate, chances are that you won’t succeed in the action.  Go all the way!  Will you make mistakes at first?  Maybe.  But hey, everyone make mistakes on the road to glory.  How many times do you think Edison failed before he invented the light bulb?  I remember a quote from him in which he said that he actually never failed, but instead he found a bunch of ways not to make a light bulb.  Funny, but think about it’s implications in hockey.  If you try things and you fail, you’ll know that you need to change them the next time around.  That’s how you learn – from your mistakes.  And then, when you start to succeed with your hockey skills, you’ll see that you start to build a ton of confidence – which is more than essential.