Always Room for Improvement

Been working at a goalie camp this weekend which has me thinking about the need to not lose focus on skill development and improvement. This group of young goalies is taking some time in their offseason to work on specific skills that will help them become better goaltenders. While hockey players are a fortunate group of athletes in that the junior level provides additional time to develop and work towards pursuing the goals of becoming a college or pro level player, it seems that, at times, too much emphasis can be placed on playing in a specific league or for a specific team. When the focus shifts like this, a player opens the door to losing out on developmental opportunities.

An example could potentially be the trade off between choosing to be a 6 or 7 defensemen at the USHL level versus being a top 4 defensemen at the NAHL level. In many cases, ice time during games and in key situations in those games goes a long ways towards helping players develop their skills. The point being that in order for a player to attain their goals, a balance needs to be struck between playing at the highest level possible and receiving the playing time and developmental opportunities that are needed to improve. While the road to and through junior hockey can be bumpy, it is vitally important to ensure that skills sets continue to grow along the way. That is what will enable a player to reach their goals be it in college or pro hockey.