Dissatisfied with Practice?

There have been plenty of times where my kid hasn't gotten a rep in a drill or, from my perspective, they're not getting the attention from the coaching staff that they should or that, worse, I don't feel like they're getting the instruction I'd paid for...

Like, are they ever going to tell him he's doing the drill incorrectly?

Even I can tell he's doing it wrong.

USE THE OTHER FOOT!!!

Seriously?! Again?! Why aren't they telling him?

It's annoying as it's occuring right in front of you.

Infuriating, maybe.

But...it happens.

So, my advice?

Get over it.

You'll feel better for it, almost immediately.

No, really, let it roll off your back cause, guess what?

Next week -- what you just saw happen to your kid will likely be happening to another kid...and you won't even notice.

Don't ever get too agitated by a single hour of "wasted" ice.

No need to get all fired up and start running your mouth to parents, the coaches or, worse, the head of the organization.

Just let it go and observe as closely as you can what's going on out there on the ice.

In my experience, it's never once been a deliberate act.

I might have felt, in the moment, like my kid was getting shortchanged but the reality of it was...he was just getting lost in the mix "that day".

Sometimes it was his fault for not really engaging or being assertive, you know, like letting other kids cut him in line and other times it's just because the coaching staff was already working one-on-one with another player when it was my kid's turn to go.

It wasn't the end of the world.

Try your best not to make it feel like it might be.

The season is long...and there are a ton more drills coming up on the horizon...

This one drill, this entire practice, isn't the be-all-end-all.

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Agree? Disagree? Let me know -- I love the feedback from all angles!

Chris Rutsch

Hockey Dad

Year round, I spend a significant amount of time and money transporting my three boys to and from freezing cold ice rinks. Not because I expect them to make it to the NHL but because I know the rigorous youth hockey experience will serve them well in the future.