This one matters more than you think
As a hockey parent, I will encourage my hockey player. I won’t critique or criticize.
I will be there to support. I will be there to talk when my hockey player wants to talk.
And when they don’t want to talk, I will respect that too.
I will not coach from the stands.
I will not ride the car ride home like it’s a postgame press conference.
I understand something that took me years to learn…
My child already knows when they didn’t play well.
They already feel it.
They already care.
They already want to be better.
They don’t need another coach.
They need a parent.
I will be steady.
When they score a hat trick, I won’t crown them the next NHL superstar.
When they have a bad game, I won’t act like the world is ending.
I will be the same person no matter what happens on the ice.
Because this game is emotional.
It’s hard.
It will test them.
And the last thing they need is to feel like their worth rises and falls with their performance.
I will let the coaches coach.
Even when I disagree.
Even when I think I know better.
Because part of this journey is learning how to deal with adversity, unfairness, and things not going your way.
That’s not just hockey. That’s life.
I will value effort over outcomes.
Blocked shots.
Backchecks.
Battles in the corner.
The things that don’t show up on the scoresheet but build real players.
I will praise the right things.
I will remember why we signed up for this in the first place.
Because they love the game.
Not for scholarships.
Not for junior teams.
Not for the NHL.
Those things might come. They might not.
But the love of the game is the foundation for everything.
And I won’t be the one who takes that away.
I will understand that this is their journey.
Not mine.
Not my second chance.
Not my unfinished business.
The game belongs to them.
And my role is simple.
Support them.
Love them.
Be there for them.
No matter what.
Because long after the last game is played…
Long after the skates are hung up…
They won’t remember every goal or every shift.
But they will remember how it felt to have me in their corner.
From,
Bobby Robins, savage motivator, NHL Alum, writer for Wraparound
PS: If you’re a hockey parent reading this, you’re already doing something right. Just by caring enough to think about it. Keep showing up for your player the right way.
And if you’re a player…send this to your parents. They might need to see it.