Every young hockey player dreams big.

The national team. The Olympics. The game-winning goal.

But what if you could sit in the car on the way to the rink and hear directly from someone who’s already lived it?

On this episode of The Ride to the Rink, Haley Winn joins fellow Olympian Hayley Scamurra for a conversation that every young athlete — and every sports parent — needs to hear.

And the advice might surprise you.

1️⃣ Have Fun — Or It Won’t Last

When asked what she’d tell 10-year-old Haley, the first answer wasn’t systems, skating drills, or off-ice training.

It was simple:

“Have fun.”

Fun isn’t soft. It’s sustainable.

When athletes enjoy what they’re doing:

• They practice longer.

• They push harder.

• They recover better.

• They stay in the sport.

Burnout doesn’t happen because kids lack talent.
It happens when joy disappears.

2️⃣ Confidence Is a Skill

Haley emphasized believing in your abilities.

Young athletes often wait for confidence to “arrive” after success.

But the truth?
Confidence fuels development — not the other way around.

If you believe you belong:

• You try harder skills.

• You recover faster from mistakes.

• You take coaching better.

• You grow faster.

Confidence isn’t arrogance. It’s trust in your preparation.

3️⃣ Hockey Is Something You Do — Not Who You Are

This might be the most important takeaway of the episode.

As a young player, Haley admits hockey was her entire identity.

If she played poorly, she felt like she was bad.

That mindset is incredibly common — and incredibly dangerous.

A bad game:

• Doesn’t define your character.

• Doesn’t determine your future.

• Doesn’t erase your work.

When young athletes separate performance from identity, they:

• Handle pressure better.

• Bounce back faster.

• Experience less anxiety.

• Stay in love with the sport longer.

Hockey can be a big part of your life.

But it shouldn’t be your whole life.

4️⃣ Rest Is Not Weakness — It’s Strategy

There’s a myth in youth sports:

“If I take a day off, someone else will pass me.”

Haley believed it too.

She admits she rarely took three full days off the ice until after college.

But what did she learn?

When you rest:

• Your body rebuilds.

• Your mind resets.

• Your performance improves.

• Your career lasts longer.

Rest isn’t laziness.

It’s long-term thinking.

If you want to play for 10+ years, you can’t treat every week like it’s the Olympics.

5️⃣ Think Long-Term, Not Weekend-to-Weekend

The Ride to the Rink is about perspective.

And this episode delivers it.

Young players — especially high achievers — often think:

• One bad tournament will ruin everything.

• Taking time off will cost them their dreams.

• Every moment must be productive.

But Olympians don’t think in weeks.

They think in years.

The players who make it aren’t always the ones who go hardest at 12.

They’re the ones who:

• Stay healthy.

• Stay confident.

• Stay balanced.

• Stay in love with the game.

Final Takeaway for Young Players (and Parents)

If you’re chasing a big hockey dream:

✔️ Work hard.
✔️ Believe in yourself.
✔️ Take care of your body.
✔️ Have interests outside the rink.
✔️ And most importantly — enjoy it.

Because the ride matters.

And if you do it right, it’s a long one.