...Or Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky, Tiger Woods, Pete Sampras, Michael Phelps, Alexandre Bilodeau (Go Canada!). These superstar athletes have one thing in common they are considered THE BEST in their sport. Why are they the best? I can answer that with one word…TIME.

Alright, we all understand the necessary effort, dedication, coaching, commitment and all the rest of it, but I’m focusing on time. I’ve trained my share of young athletes and there were a few amazing kids in whom I saw greatness… superstar potential even. They all had coaches, they put in a decent effort, and many had a pretty solid commitment. Where each fell short and where the next generation of kids is also going to fall short, is the lack of TIME needed to be the best. It can’t be ignored that kids back in my day didn’t have as many things to become distracted with as kids today. This allowed them to stay focused and excel in their talent. I believe that’s a very valid point and one that parents must consider for the success of their children.

There is an expression that really holds true for the next great athlete: “If you wish for it, and you want it, make time for it”.

Author Malcolm Gladwell wrote a book called Outliers, The Story of Success. In his book, experts stated that to become the best at anything, you need to put in 10,000 hours of practice, which will take about 10 years. (Of course there is much more to his book so feel free to pick up a copy and enjoy.) Do you know anyone that has put in that kind of time to become the best in his or her sport? I guess that is why you don’t see too many Sidney Crosbys.

Take minor hockey for example. For the past 15 years I have coached many young athletes in the gym and on the sports field. The average player gets two practices a week and a game on the weekend. That’s about 3 hours of practice time and 2 hours of game time. In fact, most players will probably play about 15 minutes of actual “on ice” time. With that “on ice” time of 15 minutes, it has been quoted that a player touches the puck for less than a minute during the entire game! I’ve never clocked it but I might now! Those 10,000 hours of practice are going to take a wee bit longer than 10 years at that rate. Now I can add the importance of gym/dry land training to that as well. What percentages of young athletes are involved in an “off ice” fitness program? I can tell you that number is extremely low.

Here’s the hockey game plan. You can apply this to almost any sport. Start by feeding your kids the best food you can! Each bag of chips, soda pop, packaged dinner, and candy bar is putting them at a greater disadvantage. Stop giving them crap. A child’s body is in a development phase from birth right into adulthood. Feed your children like they already are a professional and you’ll be giving them the best start to their road of stardom. The cost is the same if not less it’s the TIME to do it. (What did I say earlier…”make the time for it”.)

Get your kids on a team when they are very young this is great to build team social skills and allows the kids to have fun. Take your kids outside often to practice! Limit the TV, video game and computer time. Enroll your kids into hockey schools and make sure you go watch them. These schools are important for their development and your support will encourage them to keep going even on their off days. Don’t like what you see on the ice? Find a better hockey school. Monitor practices as well because this is a very important time for a player’s development. They are not just for bag skating. (Kids love that word! NOT.)

Coaching can be a difficult job. I’ve personally witnessed some tough coaches in the past but had the pleasure of working with some true leaders. If your child’s team has a difficult coach, speak up! Work it out. Do what’s best for the team and of course your child. A child’s success takes the support from family, friends, coaches, and team mates. No great athlete has done this alone, and no great athlete has come by his talent naturally.

Time is of the essence: make it, take it, don’t forsake it.

Questions or Comments? Email: rtresoor@shaw.ca