Hockey is a game and it is meant to be fun!
The new guys are pretty good…
Players, parents and coaches involved in youth sports will tell you that “Having fun” is the primary reason they participate in your sports. The absence of fun is usually given as they number one reason when they quit.
I’m sure that every coach you’ve ever had has talked about “Having fun”. But what does this really mean?
Research from Dr. Amanda Visek at George Washington University does a really good job of answering this question. Dr. Visek studied an entire youth soccer organization (142 players, 37 coaches and 57 parents). They were asked to brainstorm to identify all of the things that make playing sports fun for them. She then compiled all the answers and asked the entire group to rate the importance of each idea. This research allowed her to create the FUN Map and the Not-FUN Map.
The FUN Map lists and ranks 81 things that make sports fun. The Not-FUN Map lists and ranks 91 impediments to having fun in sports. In my experience, all of these apply to hockey
The Top Things That Make Hockey Fun
Surprisingly to some, “Winning” is nowhere near the top of the list.
- Being a good sport
- Playing well together as a team
- Supporting teammates
- When players show good sportsmanship
- Trying hard
- Trying your best
- Exercising and being active
- Working hard
- Being strong and confident
- Positive coaching
- When a coach treats players with respect
- When a coach encourages the team
- Getting clear, consistent communication from coaches
- A coach who allows mistakes, while staying positive
- A coach who listens to players and values their opinions
- A friendly coach who you can talk to easily
- Learning and improving
- Being challenged to improve and get better at your sport
- Learning new skills
- Learning from mistakes
- Team Friendships
- Sharing our passions with our friends
Having Fun is our team’s #1 guiding principle
I hope you’re having fun with today’s task.
Today’s Assignment:
- Complete today’s workout on the TeamBuildr app. Be sure to mark each exercise complete as you finish it. Depending on your schedule (other sports, work, etc.) it is okay to complete the exercises on another day or even substitute an alternate workout provided that the difficultly level is similar. Please make note of any substitutions or switches as part of the daily check in item in the TeamBuildr app. Today might be a good day to catch up on any workouts you’ve missed.
- Take a look at the full FUN and Not-FUN Maps here:
- Write down your top three (3) things that make hockey fun for you.
- Write down your top three (3) things that you wish never happened in hockey.
- Keep your answers handy to both the above questions. You’ll need them to discuss with your Senpai-Kohai partner tomorrow.
- BONUS: Read the full study by Dr. Visek. Think about how we could do something similar with our team.
- Post a FUN emoji into the team WhatsApp group when you’re finished.