The Ride To The Rink: Players Checklist for the Season

0:07 Hello hockey skaters and goalies around the world, and welcome back to another edition of the Ride to the Rink. The season is approaching. It's coming for you, no matter what you're going to do. It's coming right now. We just did an episode on Our Kids Play Hockey titled Three Things that your Coach Needs to Know to Get Ready for the Season a checklist for them. So I thought it'd be fun today on the Ride to the Rink to do like a quick three things that you, as a hockey player, need to have as a checklist before the season starts. So I'm going to run through these real quick with you. These will be good ones to listen to again before a season. So the checklist starts with the most obvious one your equipment. Okay, check your equipment. I know some of you probably have a favorite piece of equipment that you want to keep wearing, that they're yours and that you had.

0:49 You think you have good luck with this equipment. I'm not going to argue that, but I'm going to tell you if it doesn't fit anymore, get some new equipment. Okay, being protected in this sport is very possible. I'm sorry. It's very, very important. I'm also going to say this to you as much as you love that piece of equipment and I get it. I was a hockey player too. You make the equipment great. The equipment does not make you great, so believe in yourself with that. So number one on the checklist go through equipment well before the season. Make sure everything fits. If it doesn't fit, go to your parents, tell them something doesn't fit. Make sure you have the things you need to start the season. Well, some of you are growing very fast. You might be going through a growth spurt. All the gear you have to start the season well, some of you are growing very fast. You might be going through a growth spurt. All the gear you have to start the season might not fit middle of the season or end of the season.

1:30 That's why it's important that you check this out for your parents. Nobody, nobody, wants you to get hurt this season. Quick ones to check for again your hockey pants, kids. If there's a gap, if you're a skater, between your hockey pants and your shin guards above the knee, you need to get some new pads for that area. Keep it. Pay attention to your wrists. Pay attention to your chest protector. Is your belly hanging out? Things like that are really important. Make sure they fit. Obviously, your skates. Your toes should not be crunched up inside your skates. They should fit properly. New skates are very expensive. Make sure that they're actually not fitting properly before you go to your parents about this, so forth and so on, and just take a look at your sticks and make sure your sticks are in good working shape and see if you need some new ones. Goaltenders same for you.

2:11 Make sure that your leg pads fit correctly, your pants fit correctly. Make sure that they're not too big, right? I see this sometimes in goaltenders as well. Just make sure that you're well protected. So equipment is the obvious number one. Obvious Number one. Number two is your mental state. Now, what do I mean by that? You're doing a million things in the summer and the spring. Throughout the year, you got a lot going on in your lives. I totally get that and that you know. You're probably pretty present with what you're doing today or right now. Make sure you just take a moment in your room, just think mentally about how you want to approach this season, whether it's with a lot of confidence, whether you're nervous, whether you have some anxiety about it. Acknowledge those feelings and then you can even talk with your parents, or even your coaches in some cases and just make a plan right.

2:53 I'm feeling a little anxious about the season. What are the things I can do to help me with that? What are the things I can do to push through that? Really important that you acknowledge what you're feeling and find methods through those, because the mental game is part of the game and your ability to become really mentally strong or mentally fit will affect your performance. So take a moment, think about what you want from this season. Think about what you're feeling before the season. What do you want to accomplish this season? These are really great questions to go over with your parents or just by yourself in your room. Write them down in a notepad or on your phone or wherever you want to do. But take a moment and do a little bit of a mental audit to prepare yourself. Your gear's got to fit right, correct, I mean.

3:35 So your mind's got to be fitting right too. And remember hockey season's a living thing. It's a rollercoaster ride. You're going to have some great weeks, some bad weeks. You're going to have some times that feel like nothing can bother you. You're going to have some times it feels like everything's bothering you. You got to prepare for that as an individual mentally. The last thing on the list today and there's a couple of things that go into this is a gratitude check. It is so important, kids, that you take a moment and think about who is sacrificing time, money and resources to allow you to play. Most of the cases, it'll be your parents. I know a lot of you have your grandparents help out. Sometimes there's other people that help out to drive you there, to take you there.

4:16 You got to remember that these people are taking time out of their day to let you do what you love and listen. They love doing it. They might grunt and groan sometimes, especially if you're not holding up your end of the bargain, but they're not doing it because they hate it. They're doing it because they love you and they want you to participate in hockey this season. It's really important that you take a moment and think about who are the people that are sacrificing time, so that I can do this and just acknowledge them. Tell them before the season. I know you're going to be driving me a lot this year mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, whoever, friends, parents I really appreciate it. I want you to know that I really appreciate it. That will go so far for you in terms of the start of the season, but throughout the season.

4:57 Just trust me with this one all right, and really acknowledge them. Also within that gratitude, take a look at your schedule If you have a chance. All right. I mean the, the, the routine schedule. Obviously, your games are going to be in different places and you know you're going to be traveling to some really exciting places throughout the season. But it's those repetitive things on the schedule the practices every Tuesday and Thursday and Friday, the, the, the things of I got to be out of school at this time. Start to pay attention to that routine and do the things you need to do to make this easier for yourself, but also the people taking you. All right, it's very frustrating when we know you have practice and, week after week and after week, we're grinding to get you out of wherever it is, to get you going. If you love the game, we shouldn't have to do that.

5:39 You should be ready to go and that's something I want you to work on this season Knowing when your practices are, knowing the schedule, remember having gratitude that someone's coming to take you, someone's coming to support you, and making sure that you play that right. The ride to the rink. That's what I want you to think about. Check your equipment before the season. Do a mental check. Make sure your head is where you want it to be. Start to think about the things that may be coming in the present so you can work on them when they happen in the future. Okay, do a mental check and then do a gratitude check. Acknowledge the people helping you. Don't take that for granted. I want to say one more time that last one goes really, really far for you if you play it right.

6:21 Okay, but that's it. Those are the three things. That's going to do it for this edition of the ride to the ring. I should have added on there continue to listen to the ride to the ring throughout the season as part of your checklist, but if you're here, you're probably doing that already, and we appreciate that. So remember above all, above all, skate hard, have fun and remember that I believe in you. You should too. We'll see you on the next Ride to the Ranks. Skate on.