Wayne Gretzky Quotes: The Mental Hockey Game

Quotes taken from http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/w/wayne_gretzky.html

Hockey is not only about physical skill. It is also about mental preparation and thinking. The player that thinks in a game is a player that is always needed on a team. Here are some quotes by Wayne Gretzky that address practice and thinking.


A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be.
Wayne Gretzky

Hockey is fast paced. Being able to watch a play develop and anticipating where the puck will go, while moving, is a piece of the mental aspect of the game. Not all players work on developing this aspect. Kids can be taught to think and move. This doesn't always come naturally. This skill will develop at different ages. It can be coached and taught by parents.


I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.
Wayne Gretzky

This quote falls in the same realm as above. Trailing the puck isn't the best place to be. Arriving where the puck will be is a mental aspect of the game. This skill like any other skill can be practiced and encouraged.


I wasn't naturally gifted in terms of size and speed; everything I did in hockey I worked for, and that's the way I'll be as a coach.
Wayne Gretzky

Hockey isn't about what you have in terms of immediate skill but what you can practice and develop. Every player is different and has a different potential. Kids are not hockey stars. They are learning the game. Using practice, coaches and with encouragement, kids can be taught to work hard to reach their potential.


The highest compliment that you can pay me is to say that I work hard every day, that I never dog it.
Wayne Gretzky

Ever notice the kid that could skate through everyone in Mites and Squirts, gets very frustrated when they get to Peewee. The game gets harder and kids have to work harder to play competitively. While a kid my stop playing hockey, helping them learn a hard work ethic will stay with them for a life-time.


The only way a kid is going to practice is if it's total fun for him... and it was for me.
Wayne Gretzky

Practice is hard work. Finding the one piece your kid loves will make practice fun. Every kid doesn't want to hear what they have to work on. Encourage them by showing them how they progressed and succeeded. They know what they need to work on. They forget what they couldn't do yesterday but do well today. Remind them.


You miss 100% of the shots you don't take.
Wayne Gretzky

Encourage them to take the shot and more importantly take chances. Mistakes are good. Mistakes will become an accomplishment. Encourage your child to make mistakes with new drills, new skills and new teams. Practice is the best place to make a mistake and learn for the game.