5 Questions Every Aspiring Girls Hockey Player Must Ask

By Kim McCullough, MSc, YCS

What are the two biggest goals of most girls’ hockey players?  To get a women’s college hockey scholarship and to play in the Olympics.  Both of these are terrific goals and give every girls hockey player something BIG to dream about.  But the truth about becoming an elite female hockey player is that there is only so much room at the top.

Only 1% of high school athletes will receive scholarships to play at college or university.  Only 50 girls in North America are going to make it to the Olympics - 25 on the Canadian team and 25 on the American team.  And that’s only every 4 years.  And there are no professional contracts waiting for female hockey players on this side of the ocean - yet.

As the world of women’s hockey becomes more and more competitive, aspiring girls’ hockey players have to find ways to separate themselves from the rest of the pack.   And while developing strength, skill and speed on and off the ice is critical for getting to the next level, it’s ultimately the mental side of your game that is either going to make or break you.

There are five questions that players must ask themselves to determine if they really have what it takes to be great.  Pass these along to your players and team to see if they are ready and willing to do whatever it takes to play at the highest levels of the female game.

1) How badly do you want it?

How badly do you really want to be great?  Do you just talk about it or are you doing what it takes on a daily basis to be the best?  Are you working hard at your off-ice training this summer?  Are you warming-up before every ice session?  Are you taking the time to work on your mental game?  Are you eating the right kinds of food to fuel your best performance?  Some players want it to happen, some wish it would happen, and others MAKE it happen by doing all of these "little" things on a consistent basis.

2) What are you willing to do until you get there?

Many players say they want to get a women’s college hockey scholarship or make the National Team.  But do you know what steps you are going to take in order to get there?  Do you know what you need to do on a daily, weekly, monthly, and annual basis to reach that ultimate goal?  It’s great to have a BIG goal that is a few years away, but you need to have an on-ice and off-ice training plan in place that will help you to get there.

3) How much time and effort are you willing to invest?

Becoming a great female hockey player takes time.  How much time do you put into working on your game away from the rink?  Be honest with yourself.  Are you really ready to invest the time necessary to be a great player?  There really is no substitute for hard work.  Are you willing to do that work?

4) Why do you want it?

Do you want to be a great female hockey player so that people notice you?  Do you want to be great to be famous?  Do you want to be great because that’s what you think your goal is supposed to be? You’ve got to know why do you do what you do on a daily basis to be great.

5) Do you really love it?

Of the five questions, this one is the most important.  Is becoming the next great women’s hockey player your true passion?  Because it’s your passion that is going to drive you.  It’s what keeps you going when times get tough.  The road to the elite level of women’s hockey is going to get rocky, and if you do not love what you are doing, it is going to be really hard to stay on track.  So you need to ask yourself, "Is this what I truly love to do?"

Not every player is going to be ready for these questions.  They aren’t easy to answer. And that’s why they are so important.  Becoming an elite female hockey player takes time, focus and a ton of hard work.  But if you are willing to make that investment, the pay-off can be great.

© Total Female Hockey 2008

Kim McCullough, YCS, MSc, is a Athletic Development Specialist and founder of Total Female Hockey. In addition to training and coaching girls at all levels of hockey, from novice to the National team, Kim has also played at the highest level of women’s hockey in the world for the last decade. Kim’s female player development website features a state-of-the-art Complete Off-Season Training Program and her blog gives the coaches and parents of aspiring young players access to the most up-to-date tips and advice on how to help their players take their game to the next level. To learn more about female-specific player development, get your Free Report: The #1 Mistake Female Players Make in the Off-Season at http://www.totalfemalehockey.com