Hockey Video: Goal Setting

We spend a lot of time speaking to young players about a variety of topics.  One of my favourites is our goal setting seminar.  I am always very impressed by the amount of thought that many players put into the activity. This particular video sample was taken with the Earl Marriott Cyclone Taylor Advanced Hockey Academy. I am a head instructor with this group of 25 AA and AAA rep players. They attend Earl Marriott Secondary School in White Rock, BC. Each school day they spend 2 out of 4 academic blocks with us in the academy.
So often as coaches we talk to players but don’t always have enough time to listen.  Even when we do, players keep many thoughts inside, and we rarely get to see or hear what really makes them tick.  Our goal setting seminar includes a written activity for the participants.  It is on paper that we often gain much greater insight into how players are feeling, what motivates them, and how they view their environment around them.  Players in a team setting often feel pressure from their peers to act a certain way in order to fit in.  On top of that, they come and go so quickly before and after practices and games, so we rarely get a chance to know much about them one on one throughout the course of the season.  A written exercise is therefor a great way to see beyond the locker room banter and to better understand the players on our teams.  Most importantly the players have the opportunity to articulate for themselves their interests, commitment level, and ambition within the game.  S.M.A.R.T. Goal Setting (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time Specific) will lead your team, and its individuals, to a more successful, fulfilling, and rewarding season.  Please contact us to arrange a seminar with your team.