Do you feel the pressure in today's hockey culture to train all year, play in numerous out-of-town tournaments, and pay thousands of extra dollars so that your hockey player can compete with the best? If so, you're not alone. Today's prevailing wisdom states that year-round intense hockey training, starting at the youngest ages, is necessary to develop elite hockey players. It argues that families must choose between hockey and school events, family dinners, study time, and other sports. The good news is that families need not feel pressured to choose because this prevalent hockey training philosophy is not only in many ways unethical, it is also detrimental. Year-round intense hockey schedules are damaging youth hockey player's futures. Too much hockey is hurting athletes academically, socially, and ironically, athletically as well. We don't have to accept this state of affairs. Although time is running out, we can still restore sanity and integrity to the game of hockey. This won't be easy. It'll require families to start resisting the arguably enormous pressure to always do more. Community associations, coaches, professional hockey players, and many others will need to step up in order to change the tide. It's time to save our game.
