Our Kids Play Hockey: The Ride To The Rink: Why Great Teammates Have Uncomfortable Conversations With Bill Taylor

Summary

What do you do when a teammate wont pass the puck, you disagree with your coach, or you and your parents arent seeing hockey the same way?Conflict is part of every hockey season. The question isnt whether it will happenits whether youll have the courage and communication skills to handle it well.On this episode of The Ride to The Rink, Lee, Christie, Mike, and Bill Taylor of Sports Conflict Lab talk directly to young hockey players about one of the hardest skills to learn in sports: having uncomfortable conversations.Instead of complaining to someone else, avoiding the problem, or assuming another person has bad intentions, the crew explains why great teammates learn to go directly to the source, ask thoughtful questions, listen, and work toward a solution. In this episode, players will learn:Why talking directly to a teammate, coach, or parent is better than holding frustration insideHow asking questions can keep a difficult conversation from becoming an argumentWhy your teammate may not even realize their behavior is bothering youHow to approach conflict without accusing or attacking someoneWhy you should assume positive intentions before assuming the worstWhat to do when someone reacts defensivelyWhy one difficult conversation can still make an impacteven if nothing changes immediatelyHow parents and players can communicate about their different expectationsWhy being willing to have hard conversations is an important leadership skillHow to recognize when the uncomfortable conversation you need to have is actually with yourselfOne of the biggest lessons? You cant control how someone responds, but you can control how you approach the conversation.Sometimes your teammate might get defensive. Sometimes your coach may explain something you hadnt considered. Sometimes you may realize that you need to change, too.Thats part of growing as an athlete, a teammate, and a person. Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: How Young Hockey Players Can Handle Conflict With Teammates, Coaches, and Parents Be brave. Ask questions. Assume positive intent. And remember that getting better often means being willing to work through the uncomfortable stuff.Wherever you are on your hockey journey, keep learning, keep communicating, and keep believing in yourself.#YouthHockey #HockeyPlayers #HockeyLeadership #HockeyTeammates #YouthSports #HockeyDevelopment #Sportsmanship #Teamwork #HockeyParents #TheRideToTheRinkClick To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team!Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okphHave A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know!Please Be Sure To Subscribe & Leave A Review For Us On Apple Podcasts, doing so helps our show grow!Follow Us On Social Media:Facebook GroupXInstagramLinkedInYouTube