Training the Mind Like the Body in Youth Hockey

Why Mental Fitness Can’t Be an Afterthought

In youth hockey, we invest enormous time and energy into physical development. We talk about skating mechanics, shot velocity, strength programs, and skills sessions. But when it comes to the mind — the very thing that controls decision-making, confidence, and emotional regulation — most families and teams are still unsure where to start.

That’s exactly why this conversation with Henrik Cronebäck and Johan Fallby matters.

Mental fitness isn’t about fixing problems. It’s about building capacity.

And like every other part of hockey development, it works best when it’s trained early, consistently, and in a positive environment.

From Elite Athletes to Youth Sports: What’s Missing?

Johan Fallby has spent decades working with elite and professional athletes. One key insight stands out:

Elite athletes don’t avoid stress — they learn how to work with it.

The challenge is that most young athletes don’t get exposed to mental training until something goes wrong. By then, the mindset is already framed around weakness or failure.

PlayWell Minds flips that script by introducing mental skills before kids feel overwhelmed. Instead of asking, “What’s wrong?” the approach asks:

• How do you recognize what you’re feeling?

• How do you accept it without judgment?

• How do you refocus on what you can control?

This proactive mindset helps kids not just in hockey — but in school, relationships, and life.

Making Mental Training a Daily Habit

One of the most powerful ideas shared in this episode is simple:

Mental fitness should be as routine as practice.

The PlayWell Minds framework breaks mental training into short, structured, repeatable habits — much like a skills progression on the ice.

Some of the key pillars include:

🧘 Calm & Mindfulness
Teaching kids why breathing matters before emotions spiral.

🧠 Acceptance (CBT-based skills)
Thoughts and feelings are normal. Learning how to work with them is the skill.

🎯 Performance Goals Over Outcome Goals
Focusing on effort, behaviors, and decisions — not just wins, losses, or stats.

🔍 Reflection & Evaluation
Balancing growth areas with recognizing what went well.

🎉 Celebration
Taking time to acknowledge success, build confidence, and reinforce joy.

When these tools are shared across a team, something powerful happens: kids realize they’re not alone in how they feel.

The Power of “Top Three”

One of the simplest — and most impactful — exercises discussed is called Top Three.

At the end of the day, athletes write down three positive moments from that day.

What makes it so effective?

• It trains awareness of positives, even on hard days

• It builds gratitude without pressure

• Over time, kids begin noticing good moments as they happen

Parents, coaches, and players of any age can use this. The results often show up quickly — better sleep, improved mood, and a healthier perspective on performance.

What Parents Need to Hear

Parents play a critical role in mental fitness — often without realizing it.

Some key takeaways from this episode:

• Be present, but don’t take over

• Ask questions instead of giving instructions

• Acknowledge feelings without trying to erase them

• Remember: youth sports are a vehicle for human development

Kids today are more aware of mental health than any generation before them. Approaches that relied on fear, pressure, or shame no longer work — and often do harm.

Creating a supportive environment doesn’t mean lowering standards. It means building trust so kids can handle higher ones.

Better Teams Start With Better Environments

Mental fitness isn’t just an individual skill — it’s a team skill.

When coaches, parents, and players share a common language around emotions, focus, and effort:

• Communication improves

• Accountability becomes healthier

• Trust deepens

• Performance becomes more consistent

Just like strength training, mental fitness fades if it’s ignored. But when it’s practiced consistently, it becomes a competitive advantage — and a life skill.

Final Thoughts

Mental fitness doesn’t belong on the sidelines of youth hockey anymore.

It belongs in practice plans, locker rooms, car rides, and everyday conversations.

Whether through tools like PlayWell Minds or simple daily habits, helping kids train their minds may be one of the most important investments we can make in their development — as athletes and as people.

🎧 If this episode resonated with you, share it with another parent or coach, and start the conversation in your own hockey community.

Because when kids learn how to work with their minds, the game becomes better — and so does everything beyond it.