The journey matters more than the outcome — here’s why.
Hey Hockey Family,
This one’s a little different today.
When I look back on my hockey journey, I know one thing for sure: I was lucky. My parents always encouraged me to chase my dreams. They didn’t pile on extra pressure — they just nurtured me in the things I was good at and gave me every opportunity to go after it.
We all know hockey isn’t cheap. Season after season, they sacrificed to put skates on my feet and sticks in my hands. I honestly think they’d be living on a beach somewhere if it wasn’t for my hockey career — but they never would’ve had it any other way.
Now that I’ve got kids of my own, I see it differently. I don’t want them to live in my shadow. I want them to find their own passions and chase their dreams. My daughter is gifted at drawing — maybe she’ll become a famous artist, or maybe she’ll just draw because she loves it. Either way, I’ll keep telling her the same thing:
“Go for it. Dream big. You’ll never know what’s possible unless you try.”
Dream chasing isn’t easy. It comes with ups and downs, successes and failures. But the journey — the struggle, the lessons, the growth — is what shapes us.
So this one goes out to the encouragers. To the parents who don’t squash the dream, who don’t force the dream, but who stand beside their kids with the simple, powerful words:
“I’m proud of you.”
Keep encouraging. Keep believing. Keep supporting. That’s how dreams get chased — and sometimes, how they come true.
See you on the driveway,
—Bobby Robins, ex hockey pro, savage motivator