It's in your hands - Junior Hockey News

I want to tell you a story. It took place long time ago in a very small village. There was a young man who was a smart aleck, if we can call him that; I suppose smart ass is how he would be referred to today. And he had a young friend and he started to talk. "There is an old man in the village who is never ever wrong. He's a wise old guy and he's never been wrong in his entire life and we are going to get one over on him." And then the young man reached into a bush and pulled out a little bird. "I'm going to ask the old man if the bird in my hand is alive or dead. If the old man says the bird is dead, I will open my hand and the bird will fly away. I will be able to say that the old man was wrong. If on the other hand, the old man says that the bird is alive, I will crush the bird in my hand. I'll open my hand and prove to him that he was wrong for the first time in his life. In this way I will show him he can be wrong and he's not perfect." So along comes the old man, and the young brash kids approach him. The boy says, "Hey old man, I have a question for you." The old man looks at him with a sad smile on his face and he says, "Yes my son, what can I do for you." The brash young man says "I have here in my hand a bird; you must tell me if it is alive or dead." The brash young man has a big smile on his face because in his heart of hearts he knows he's gotten one over on the old man. The old man looks again at him with sad smile on his face. "My son," the old man says, "the answer lies in your hands." It's not just that the wise old man knows that choice is in this young man's hands. The choice of course is in all of our hands. When we make a decision, when we take an action, in anything we do, we are at choice.

Young men that have the privilege to play hockey at any level. though sheer talent or good fortune need understand that everyday choices they make will impact their future. All of us make mistakes in life. Understanding that we are the one's responsible is an important step in the maturation process. Decide to drink, do drugs, party hard, be promiscuous what ever, the bottom line is it is your choice. I'm not going to stand up and lecture anyone on morality. I'll leave that to your parents as we all see things differently, but I will be emphatic that every choice has a consequence. Sometimes the result is no result at all, but it is a result. Later this week I'll dazzle you with Chaos Theory (think Jurassic Park), but for now understand what The Old Man has said. It's in your hands!

Mike Margolies, Sport Psychology Consultant, Author and Professional Speaker is available to speak to your club. Check my speaker web page at http://themental-game.com/consultation-fees/meeting-planners/ Do note the page on fee flexibility. It would be a great way to kick off your season.