I think back to my playing and coaching days and I compare it to where I am at today as a father. It’s been 10 years since I was a head coach of the team, now that I’m getting back into the hockey scene because my son is playing hockey, something still catches my attention.

As parents, we get too caught up with our children’s performance on and off the ice. What level s/he should be playing by now. Or, we are consistently pushing them beyond their limits. It gets to a point where we take them up to 4 times a week for practices and sometimes twice in one day.

The funny thing is we hear all the time at work how we need “Life, work and balance”, how important it is, and we all agree… Guess what, our kids need to have balance in their life too. Here’s my little hockey pun – As hockey parents, Life is a Triangle Formation. Each side represents a tool that our children need in order to have balance and a flourishing childhood.

The Triangle Formation Balance

School
Social life
Hockey

Balance in everything we do is essential

The reality, your kids have to keep each side equal in length. If you pay too much attention to hockey, then their social life and schooling are affected. Too much of one thing is too much!

Also, let your kids play other sports. Give them the time away from hockey so they can miss it and come back rejuvenated with passion.

In the end, hockey is so much more than scoring a goal or winning the game. It’s about knowing how to play the 250ft game!