Taking Risks in Hockey: Good or Bad?

Is taking risks in hockey a good thing? It’s a great question that many hockey parents ask. Can taking risks set them apart from other players at a young age? Or, can coaches and scouts see it as reckless and counterproductive? Ultimately, it depends on the risk and how it benefits both the team and the player. Wondering if you should be letting your kids take risks in minor hockey? This article will help answer some of those questions by examining what risks young hockey players can take and why it might be good or bad for their career development.

Taking Risks at Practices

Taking risks at practices is likely a safer way for young players to be adventurous. Practices are generally low-key and are a great place to try out new moves. In fact, practices are the best place to take risks because players cannot cost their team a victory by trying something new in the middle of a game.

So what kind of risks can you take at practice? It’s a great place to practice skills that you can use in a game. Anything from learning how to hockey stop properly to timing a one-timer slapshot. Are these taking risks? Risk-taking doesn’t always have to be something dangerous or reckless. It can be as simple as trying out something new that you can add to your arsenal as a player. Ask any hockey coach and they will agree that practices are the best time to try and take new risks on the ice.

Taking Risks During Games

Ideally, players won’t be taking too many risks during their team’s games. There are too many elements in a game that can go wrong for both the player and the team. One badly timed pass or giveaway could potentially cost your team the game. If it happened at an important time, you could lose the faith of your teammates or your coach.

Not only is it potentially detrimental to your team but doing risky moves or plays during a game could result in an injury. Let’s face it, hockey is a game that moves at high speeds even for youths. One wrong move and you or another player could end up falling or sliding awkwardly into the boards. Losing games is bad but nothing is worse in minor hockey than an avoidable injury to a player. Keep the risk-taking to a minimum during the game!

Taking Risks: Trying Out New Positions

One risk that is certainly worth taking at a young age is to try out new positions on the ice. Why? The older you get, the more you are funneled into playing a particular position. Getting experience playing all of the different positions while you are young is a great way to gain perspective about the game. If you’ve played both defence and forward, you’ll realize how both positions need to work together to help each other out!

Trying out new positions is also a great way to get on a coach’s good side. If you’re a forward, playing defence can help with the defensive side of your game and vice versa for a defenceman. It also teaches you new skills that you might not otherwise use as often like skating backwards. It is a tremendous opportunity to learn other facets of the game and risk very much worth taking for younger players!

Taking Risks on the Ice: Strapping on the Pads?

Here’s a risk not many players are willing to take: strapping on the pads and playing goalie. While it can be fun at a younger age, it gets increasingly difficult the older you get. Putting on the pads and trying out practice as a goaltender is a great risk to take because you might not ever get the opportunity again.

And who knows, you might actually like it! You will need a pretty lenient coach to let you play goalie in a game, especially since you will be borrowing someone else’s pads and equipment. Playing goalie can also provide an interesting perspective of the game. Since you stay back in your net, you can really watch your teammates and learn how everyone plays. There is a lot to observe when you are a goalie so we can confidently say that it is a risk worth taking at a young age.

Why Younger Players Should Consider Taking Safe Risks

Taking risks is one way to get ahead of your competition. This applies to a lot of things in life and not just to hockey. Taking risks in your career can often lead to greater success. It can be starting a business or applying for a higher position. If you never make that leap of faith to begin with, you’ll never know your true potential.

For hockey players and younger athletes, taking risks when the game isn’t as “serious” is a part of overall development. You might be surprised at how many NHL goalies started off as players before taking that risk and putting on the pads. You can say the same for NHL players who started playing other sports like baseball or soccer. Making the leap to hockey was a risk worth taking and you can bet they don’t regret a thing.

So what are the lessons to be learned here? Take risks, have fun, and always be safe on the ice. Only take a risk if there is no risk of injuring yourself or another player. Only take a risk if your coach and teammates approve of it and finally, only take a risk if it benefits your team and does not cost them the game.