Hockey Tips from the NYI Alumni

Steve Webb — The Art of having FUN while playing the game of Hockey

Hey Kids, another hockey season is upon us here on Long Island and we all know the fun and excitement that goes along with starting a new hockey season. So we figured that with all the experience of growing up and playing youth hockey that all the NYI Alumni have combined, we could share some tips throughout the season that will help you develop some new skills or help you improve on the skills you have already obtained through your own hockey experience.

I'm sure this tip falls under the skills that you already know through your own experience of playing hockey. Well I just want to remind all you players out there that this might just be one of the most important skills of all time. You would think that this skill of having fun would be easily mastered but the reason why it is such a hard skill is, that on occasion when the game is not going in our favor we tend to get upset and focus on what is going wrong, which then will take that fun feeling out of the game. By doing this we will lose focus on the fun parts of the game such as skating, passing, making saves and the big one of being around our friends having fun playing a game together.

One way to play the game is by taking the enjoyable feelings of excitement we have on the way to the game and work on keeping those fun feelings all game long as well as after the game. By doing this simple act of having fun you will find that the game and the skills you are playing or working on will improve naturally because it will feel very easy and effortless while having fun.

I enjoyed playing with my friends so much that I knew that by having fun and improving my game that it would give me the opportunity to play with my friends year after year. Wouldn't you know it, by taking the skill of having fun, I was able to improve at a game that I enjoyed and was also able to play in the NHL with some of my good friends that I grew up playing minor hockey with. Not bad for wanting to have fun.

Remember the more you enjoy the game the easier it becomes.

Until the next Tip,

Steve Webb and The NYI Alumni

If you are looking for a tip on a skill that you are looking to improve on please feel free to send an e-mail at the below address, and maybe your e-mail will be answered by one of our NYI Alumni greats and be posted on our sight.

sbeisel@newyorkislanders.com

All Tips from our Alumni

• Mike Bossy Are you ready
• Pat Lafontaine Work on your weaknesses
• Mike Bossy Making the most of practice
• Steve Webb The Art of having FUN while playing the game of Hockey