🥅 What separates great hockey players and goalies from everyone else? According to former NHL goalie coach and current NCAA Division I goalie coach Steve Briere, it starts long before the puck drops—with preparation, confidence, repetition, and the ability to move on from mistakes.
In this episode of The Ride to The Rink, Steve joins Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli to share lessons young hockey players can use right now, whether they play between the pipes or anywhere else on the ice.
Steve explains why having a plan for every practice can accelerate development, how small competitions can make training more fun, and why elite athletes develop a deep belief in their own abilities.
🔥 In this episode, young players will learn:
Why “failing to prepare is preparing to fail”
How to create a simple plan before practices and games
Easy ways to improve reflexes, footwork, flexibility, and hand-eye coordination
Why making practice competitive can improve both your game and your teammates
How repetition creates real, lasting confidence
Why confidence and arrogance are not the same thing
How one mistake can become several if emotions take control
Why learning to reset after a missed shot or bad goal is such an important hockey skill
How gratitude can help players appreciate every opportunity to step on the ice
Steve also shares the advice he wishes he could give his 12-year-old self: learn how to separate your emotions from your performance. A missed opportunity, bad goal, or tough shift does not have to determine what happens next.
And through it all, Steve reminds young players that the love of the game matters. Prepare with purpose. Compete hard. Believe in yourself. And don’t forget to enjoy the ride.
🎧 Listen now and take one lesson from Steve into your next practice or game.
📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime?Check out our companion blog: Prepare, Believe, Reset: Steve Briere’s Lessons for Young Hockey Players
For more information about Steve Briere’s goalie training programs, mentorship opportunities, and Path to the Crease nonprofit, check the resources linked in the episode show notes.
Wherever you are on your hockey journey, keep putting in the work—and keep believing you belong on the ice.
#YouthHockey #HockeyGoalie #GoalieTraining #HockeyConfidence #HockeyMindset #MentalPerformance #YouthSports #HockeyDevelopment #GoalieDevelopment #TheRideToTheRink #OurKidsPlayHockey #SteveBriere
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