As a hockey training facility in Langley, we have witnessed the resilience of our athletes – along with their parents. From pairing hockey schedules and pivoting along with health mandates, to managing both losses and wins with equal grace; NHTC athletes and parents alike did an amazing job in 2021.

A perseverant athlete is a resilient athlete, and we are proud to be surrounded by a community of like-minded perseverant people!

The Personal Benefits of Pushing Through Adversity

Hockey truly rewards those that push through their adversity. It gives players a winning attitude on and off the ice.

Whether managing personal relationships or tackling school or a career; trying times are a reality everyone is faced with at one point or another.

Which is especially true for the past 2-years worldwide. We have each had to learn our personal limits and then move beyond them to ‘stay in the game’ – so to speak.

Transitioning to a home office and at-home learning, cancelled travel plans and changed social activities – just to name a few. The past 2 years have been a massive adjustment that has required patience, understanding and an adaptive attitude, and we appreciate everyone who championed this in their own ways.

The Psychology of Raising Resilient Athletes

According to hockey-psychology.com and internationally recognized speaker and certified mental performance consultant Dr. Colleen Hacker, Ph.D…

“You can be taught mental toughness. It’s a skill,” said Dr. Hacker, who has served as a member of the United States coaching staff for six Olympic Games and worked with elite athletes in ice hockey, soccer, baseball, football, golf and many other sports throughout her more than 30-year career. “You want to get better at your stickhandling, practice stickhandling. You want to get more resilient or mentally tough, you practice it. It’s about looking for reasons why you should succeed and acting on it.”

…and we couldn’t agree more!

How Parents Can Help Their Child Remain Resilient or Gain Resilience

There are a variety of ways parents can help their child gain resilience or remain resilient through challenging times. Some of which include…

Using Failure as a Teaching Moment …although it is often our desire to soften the difficult blows for our children, allowing them to feel defeat, and then figure out how to rise from it with our help, can help create mental toughness
Offering Small Assists …instead of making your child achieve A-Z entirely on their own, offering small assists can provide the helping hand they need to succeed. As with hockey, an assist counts for a lot in real life too
Emulate EQ …emotional intelligence plays a big role in a growth mindset. As a parent, emulating this for you child will go a lot further than simply expecting it. Changing what our children WANT to do vs. telling them can often mean the difference between self-propelled excellent, and seeking outward accolades for what is achieved

These are just a few ways you can take what we aim to teach your child here at NHTC, back home, doubling up on your child’s learning curve of resilience.