This past weekend I spend scouting with my friend who is also the publisher of TJHN. We scout, we talk, and enjoy the game from the technical aspect of it to the development, and the refined players ending their amateur career.
While we spend the time enjoying the game though, I also have the chance to listen in on some phone conversation he have with the clients and then talk to him about them as well.
It is amazing to me how many player and parent do not have a plan to succeed on their hockey journey. It is more amazing to me how many think they have a plan and then when the journey is ending they wonder why they haven’t achieved their goal.
He explain to me why this is in a simple way I think everyone can understand.
“People today get in their cars and when they are driving long distances, they just set their GPS and follow the directions and voice commands. Its funny though, that when they get a traffic alert, or get stuck in traffic, the vast majority of people do not use the “alternative route” options on their GPS program. Its the same way in hockey. They think they know the directions, and they listen to the voice commands of people they don’t know very well, and then when they get stuck in traffic, the majority of them just sit there. When there are alternative routes to get to their destinations, they simply don’t seek out the answers until they have already wasted a lot of time, and gas which equals money, sitting in traffic.”
I listen to him talk to current clients, and potential new clients. Always it is about planning a path. Setting a direction, with road markers along the way, and then when you hit traffic, understanding what alternative routes are available.
The conversations are very repetitive to me. He sound like the broken record in my mind. But then again, repetition is the only way to truly get the understanding of the message. Sometime though, no matter how often people hear thing, they still sit in traffic, thinking it will break any minute. Then before they know it, they are out of gas.
Planning is critical. you must have a plan to reach your destination in hockey. If you do not, you will more often than not get lost and never reach your destination. Not planning is basically planning to fail.
Developing a plan and assessing the plan along the way, making changes to it when necessary more often than not leads you to the right destination. Planning leads to success.
You do not go into a championship game without the game plan. To reach your goal in hockey is to win the championship. Why do you not plan to succeed?
If everyone was meant to arrive on time, on the same path, heading the same way, there would never be the traffic jam. If you find you are in the traffic jam, is it not time to look for alternative route?
Coach
