Thomas Gobeil

This story is why I love this game.

Before drafts, before rankings, before anyone was watching, a few gold miners crossed a frozen country to play for a cup they knew they'd probably lose. The game was worth every mile.

Your player carries that same love. Protecting it through the season is the real work, and it happens off the ice.

That's what The Season Ahead is for. September 1st, one free live hour for hockey parents. I'd love to see you there. Comment SEASON and I'll send you the link.

Archives: Library and Archives Canada / McCord Museum, public domain.

Same twelve minutes of road. Two completely different conversations.

Your player's body is still running hot after a bad game, and a body under pressure hears judgment in almost everything. That's not your fault, and it isn't theirs. It's how the system works.

One line gets through, because it isn't about the game at all.

September 1st I'm teaching a free live hour for hockey parents, right before the season starts. We go into exactly this.

Comment SEASON and I'll send you the link.

My dad, sometime in the seventies. Long before he ever watched me play.

As kids, we don't copy what our parents say. We copy how they carry themselves. Before I copied any pro, I copied my dad. The way he walked into a rink. The way he treated the game.

Your player does the same with you. In the stands, in the car, after a hard loss. You don't need to coach them. You already lead them.

What are they learning from watching you this season?

The Season Ahead is about exactly that — a free live hour for hockey parents, September 1 at 7:30 PM ET. Comment SEASON and I'll send you the link.

The car ride home is short. It stays with a player longer than the game does.

Your job in the car is to hold the space. The slides give you the words: how they're feeling first, permission before feedback, and the fun before the game.

One different drive home can change a season. My book shows you how, and it's free. Comment BOOK and I'll send it to you.

Camps are underway. The season is close.

On September 1st I'm teaching a free live class for hockey parents. One hour on the season ahead: how confidence gets built, what your player needs from you on game day, and what to say on the drive home.

Live at 7:30 PM ET. Everyone registered gets the replay.

Comment SEASON and I'll send you the link. It's also in my bio.

It’s not that they’re not trying. And it’s not attitude. Their body just reads a big game as danger and tenses up — heavy legs, tight chest, quick little breaths. Think of a smoke alarm. It can’t tell burnt toast from a real fire. It just goes off. Same thing happening in there.

Two things you can try tonight:

Take one breath together in the car. In for 4, hold for 4, out for 6. That long exhale is what tells the body it’s okay — the danger’s passed.
After the game, drop “What happened out there?” Ask “How were you feeling in the second?” instead.

Nothing dramatic. But done quietly, game after game, it changes the whole ride home.

I’m getting into all of this at The Season Ahead — a free live hour for hockey parents, September 1 at 7:30 PM ET. Link in bio if you want a seat.

Free e-book - link in bio