Touch Grass

HBIC has always had the mindset of "of the people, by the people, for the people" in presenting topics and ideas from my perspective. I'm not one to claim I'm an authority on anything within the game because there's always room to learn more, see more, and do more. One of the things I appreciate is getting emails about things I've written becase that feedback tells me that someone took the time to read my ramblings, but it's also a real-time receipt on whether I'm doing a good job in building the arguments that I present. Today, I need to address one of those emails right here.

I received an email this weekend that, in part, read,

"Why have you not written about the Hlinka Cup? Canada is doing so well, and it looks like Canadian hockey is on the comeback! Any comments on that?"

I'll give a nod to the writer for his enthusiasm for the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, and I can say that Team Canada is doing well. They have a number of solid players, including a couple of 16 year-olds, that are lighting up the scoreboards at the tournament, and it seems that Canada is poised for another international tournament win. Other countries will do their best to disrupt that, but Canada's on a roll.

I'm not here to take the wind out of anyone's sails, but I can honestly say that I never once thought about hockey in August when I was 16. I get that these players who are wearing the maple leaf at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup are massively talented compared to my skills at that age, but imagine hockey being a full-time job for anyone at the age when they should be enjoying their first official driver's license.

Make no mistake that it's an honour to be identified and selected by Hockey Canada as one of the best players across this country as a 17 year-old, and skating in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup should be celebrated. On the other hand, there are hundreds of kids who are in rinks right now who weren't selected, and there are thousands more who are enjoying summer by playing other sports, hanging out with friends, and taking road trips all over the map. In short, they're having a good time being teenagers, and that's an important part of life.

This article isn't about the 25 Canadian kids skating for Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, but it is for the thousands of kids who never received a letter from Hockey Canada inviting them to a camp. Hockey doesn't have to be a full-time job, and it should never define you as to who you are. People don't say, "There goes Jeff, the hockey player" when you walk by, but they do think, "Hey, there's Jeff who I hung with this summer and is a cool guy". If you're only focused on hockey, you're going to miss out on a lot other fun things in life.

No one is saying that you shouldn't be committed to getting better, not practising and playing hard, nor ignoring the feedback one gets from coaches. What I am saying is that hockey doesn't need to be a full-time job at the age of 16 unless one chooses to make that decision and commits to that decision. There are lots of talented hockey players who have made that decision and walked away from the game before reaching the CHL, let alone the NHL, and I often wonder if not participating in the summer activities that made one successful leads to leaving the game earlier than one may want.

In the end, no one is saying to give up hockey, and I want to be clear that anyone reading this who wants a career in hockey should still continue to work on improving those skills and talents needed to climb the hockey ladder. What I am saying, though, is that it's ok to skip a week-long camp, turn down a summer tournament, or enjoy some time at the lake to recharge the batteries. Hockey's a gruelling sport as shown by the mental health challenges faced by NHL players, and we know that adolescence ages are where "maladaptive neurobehavioral development" can develop due to stressors.

I'm not saying that anyone needs to abandon the dream of playing in the NHL. That's a goal that all hockey players have, and it's one that can and should be pursued. What I am saying with the "touch grass" title is that it's ok to take a break from that goal to help one refocus. Hockey souldn't be a full-time job for anyone at 16, so we should encourage kids to spend more time away from the rink whenever possible to help keep that goal in focus. If we preach everything in moderation, that too should be applied to the game of hockey.

Canada's doing extremely well at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, and I hope they bring home some hardware. But if we want this game to get better for everyone, we need to encourage kids to just be kids whenever we can. There's more to life than just a rink and hockey.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!