6 – PRESIDENT MARK – Helping Your Child Fall in Love with Hockey (U7–U9)

PLAYER POSITIVE CONTROL – Introduction

For children between U7 and U9, hockey should be about one thing above all else:

Falling in love with the game.

At this age, players are discovering hockey for the first time. They are learning how to skate, handle a puck, make friends, wear equipment, listen to coaches, and become part of a team.

Very few future Junior, NCAA, or professional careers are determined at this age.

What is determined is whether children enjoy coming to the rink.

Parents play the single biggest role in creating that experience.

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Success Isn’t Measured by Goals

Many parents naturally celebrate goals, assists, and wins.

Young children often measure success differently.

A successful day may simply mean:

• Learning to stop without falling.
• Making a new friend.
• Smiling during practice.
• Trying something new.
• Being excited for the next game.

Celebrate effort far more than statistics.

Confidence grows when children feel proud of improving—not just winning.

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Make Hockey Fun

Children stay involved in activities they enjoy.

Parents can help by:

• Smiling before and after games.
• Keeping car rides positive.
• Avoiding post-game criticism.
• Celebrating small improvements.
• Encouraging friendships with teammates.
• Making rink visits enjoyable family experiences.

A child who enjoys hockey will naturally want to improve.

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Let Coaches Do the Coaching

One of the greatest gifts parents can give their child is consistency.

When coaches teach one message and parents teach another, children become confused.

Support your coach.

Reinforce positive habits.

Avoid coaching from the stands.

Your child already has a coach.

Your role is different.

Your role is to encourage.

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Build Confidence Every Week

Confidence develops through repeated positive experiences.

Notice things like:

• Hustle.
• Listening.
• Helping teammates.
• Good sportsmanship.
• Trying difficult skills.
• Never giving up.

Children who believe in themselves become lifelong learners.

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The Ride Home Matters

Many players remember the drive home more than the game itself.

Instead of asking:

“Why didn’t you score?”

Try asking:

• Did you have fun?
• What made you smile today?
• What did you learn?
• What are you excited to practice?

Simple questions create meaningful conversations.

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Teach Respect Early

Respect becomes much easier to maintain when introduced at the beginning of a player’s hockey journey.

Teach children to respect:

• Coaches
• Officials
• Opponents
• Volunteers
• Teammates
• Parents
• Arena staff

Children learn respect by watching adults.

Model the behaviour you hope to see.

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Hockey Is More Than Hockey

Youth hockey teaches lessons that last a lifetime.

Children begin learning:

• Responsibility
• Teamwork
• Listening
• Commitment
• Friendship
• Handling disappointment
• Celebrating others
• Working toward goals

These life lessons often become more valuable than wins and championships.

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Remember Why You Started

Most families enroll their children in hockey because they want them to:

• Have fun.
• Be active.
• Make friends.
• Learn teamwork.
• Build confidence.

Whenever the season becomes stressful, return to those original reasons.

Keeping hockey enjoyable during these early years creates the strongest foundation for everything that follows.

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Parent Partnership Tip

Your child’s first hockey memories should be filled with smiles—not pressure.

Children who love coming to the rink are far more likely to continue playing, learning, and growing throughout their hockey journey.

Your enthusiasm, patience, and encouragement matter more than any scoreboard.

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Key Takeaways

At the U7–U9 level, parents should focus on creating positive experiences rather than pursuing results.

Celebrate effort, support coaches, encourage friendships, model respect, and help your child discover the joy of hockey.

A lifelong love of the game begins with positive first experiences.

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Every question begins with something Hockey people genuinely want to know.

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1. WE FIND REAL QUESTIONS. We investigate what Hockey Players, Parents, Coaches and Officials are asking and searching for.
2. WE SEARCH THE WORLD FOR ANSWERS. We examine relevant Hockey knowledge, coaching practices, available research and expert perspectives from around the world.
3. WE COMPARE THE EVIDENCE. We look beyond individual opinions, consider different approaches and identify where the strongest available evidence points.
4. WE APPLY REAL HOCKEY EXPERIENCE. We consider how the findings apply to actual Hockey situations, including different ages, skill levels and stages of development.
5. WE DELIVER A PRACTICAL ANSWER. We explain what our research suggests, why it matters and what Hockey people can do with that information.

We recognize that not every Hockey question has one perfect answer. Age, ability, experience and individual circumstances can change what works best.

Our commitment is to provide thoughtful, practical answers while being clear about what the evidence supports and where uncertainty remains.

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