Tips for Creating Healthy Young Hockey Players

When it comes to creating strong, skilled youth hockey players, most people focus on what these kids do on the ice. However, that’s not the only thing that matters, not by a long shot. What happens off the ice and after practice is over and what goes on in a child’s general life plays a big role in how successful of a hockey player he will be.

One thing to keep in mind is that, contrary to popular belief, you don’ t want your child to ONLY focus on hockey. It’s actually better for children if they’re involved in other activities and even other sports. This will keep them from getting burnt out on hockey and will also allow them to develop other skills that can help them both in sports and life.  

Physical activity, though important, isn’t the only thing that young players need to be successful. You also want to ensure that they are eating a healthy, balanced diet, getting plenty of sleep each night, and also being allowed to have some downtime where they can have fun and just be kids. This is good not only for their game but for their physical and emotional well-being as well.  

And speaking of emotional well-being, the most important thing that your child needs to be successful in hockey and successful in life is a supportive, loving home atmosphere. This isn’t to say that you have to have a perfect home life because, let’s face it, who does, but it is to say that your child should feel safe, loved, and supported at home. Without this type of environment, you can’t expect a child to excel at anything.

If you can work on providing these things for your child, then everything should fall into place for him or her, in sports and in life.