April 7, 2025 • 23 mins
🎙 Episode 395: The REAL Reason Coaches Don’t Trust Your Athlete (And How to Fix It)
In this episode, Rich Grogan discusses the critical role of consistency in an athlete's performance and how it affects their relationship with coaches. He emphasizes that trust is built through consistent effort, respect, and a positive attitude during practice. Grogan shares insights on how athletes can earn more ice time and leadership roles by demonstrating a strong work ethic and a commitment to improvement. He also highlights the importance of mindset and persistence in achieving success in sports and life.
Takeaways
Consistency is key to gaining a coach's trust.
Athletes must give their best effort every time they practice or play.
Trust is earned in practice, not just in games.
A positive attitude and respect towards coaches are crucial.
Every practice is an opportunity to try out for more ice time.
Persistence in effort leads to better performance.
Athletes should focus on winning every shift they play.
Listening to feedback from coaches is essential for growth.
Building energy in practice translates to performance in games.
The mindset of an underdog can help athletes stand out.
Chapters
00:00 The Importance of Consistency in Athletes
05:52 Building Trust with Coaches
12:10 Mindset and Work Ethic
18:57 The Role of Persistence in Performance
24:46 Earning Ice Time and Leadership Roles
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:14):
how consistent is your athlete?
Meaning, every time they step on the ice, are they consistently putting forth their very,best?
Or are they consistently dogging it?
Are they consistently being respectful and making eye contact when the coach is talking tothem?
Or they rolling their eyes, hanging their shoulder?
Are they consistently bringing it every single time they're on the ice, whether it bepractice or a game?
(00:34):
Or are they just kind of blending in and going with emotions?
Well, this episode, we're talking about the real reason coaches bench kids
coaches don't trust players and what to do about it.
So make sure you tune in.
Make sure you share this with someone who could benefit from it and we'll be right backwith you.
(01:14):
how consistent is your athlete?
Meaning, every single time they step on the ice, are they consistently bringing theirbest, giving it all they got, doing that little bit extra, or they consistently just kind
of blending in with the crowd, going with the flow, dogging it when the coach isn't Onlyyou can answer that question and only you can help your athlete recognize, look man, in
(01:35):
order to gain the coach's trust, in order to get the ice time you want, in order to getyour tail off the bench and on the ice, in key game situations,
You've got to consistently perform at your very, best.
And that's exactly what we're talking about today.
So find value in this.
Make sure you share it with someone else.
(02:06):
how consistent is your athlete?
Meaning, when they're on the ice, are they consistently giving it all they got?
They consistently giving it their absolute very, very best?
Are they consistently working as hard as they possibly can?
Or are they consistently dogging it?
Consistently waiting for the coach to turn his back so they can just go through themotions, stopping short of the line?
Are they consistently making eye contact when the coach is talking to them?
(02:28):
Or are rolling their eyes, being disrespectful?
Only you can answer that question.
Well,
Today, we're going to talk about the real reason players either earn or lose the coach'strust, which leads to either earning or losing ice time and exactly what to do about it.
So make sure you tune in today's show.
And if you find value in this, make sure you share it with someone that also couldbenefit.
(03:07):
Greetings champions, Master Coach Rich Grogan here with the Warrior Confidants.
(04:00):
Greetings, champions.
Master Coach Rich Grogan here.
Hope you're having a fantastic day.
Welcome to the Warrior Hockey Confidence Podcast.
(04:25):
greetings edge champions.
Master coach Rich Grogan here.
Hope you're having a fantastic day.
Welcome to the Warrior Confidence Hockey Podcast.
The go-to show for parents, players, coaches, organizations, those who are wanting tolearn a little bit to stand out from the crowd, to earn that ice time, to develop those
championship teams, that championship culture that stands out from the crowd.
(04:48):
That season that man you're like, this season's the best season ever as opposed to.
man, I can't wait for this season to end.
Every single show, I'm to be talking from a coach's point of view, a parent's point ofview, a player's point of view, an organizational leader's point of view to help share
tidbits, warrior confidence tips with you and your athlete to help them grow andessentially get what they all want most.
(05:10):
I mean, what do you want as a player, as a parent for your kiddo there?
Well, the players want ice time, parents want ice time, coaches want to reward playerswith ice time because the ones they reward with the ice time are the ones that are to work
hard and help build the team.
And when the team's better, the season is better.
You perform better.
You win more games.
You win championships.
And that's exactly what we're talking about today.
(05:31):
Now, this is episode number 395, 395.
And it's the real reason coaches don't trust your athlete and what to do about it.
Now, the last show, and when you're done with this one, go back and listen to that one,episode 394.
We talked about, if you as a parent, would you trust your athlete enough to put them inkey game situations, to put them
(05:52):
late in the game when the game's on the line or the penalty kill, the power play.
And if the answer wasn't a resounding yes, then that was the problem.
And we talked about what to do to go about fixing that.
Well, today, we're going to dive right in and talk about the reason that maybe yourathlete isn't getting as much ice time as they want, much ice time as you'd like for them
(06:12):
to get.
And all revolves around consistency.
Consistency is key.
Now, so I asked the question at very beginning.
is your athlete consistently giving it all they got?
Are they consistently bringing a positive mental attitude?
Are they consistently bringing their absolute very best work ethic to the rink?
Are they consistently working out at home, stretching, doing the little things behind thescenes?
(06:36):
Or are they consistently bringing a bad attitude, showing up late, dogging it at practice?
And here's the thing.
Trust is solidified in games, but trust is earned in practice.
And as a coach,
You know, in key game situations, we can only put the players out there that we trust themost.
Why?
The game is on the line.
I mean, it just makes sense.
(06:58):
And if the player hasn't earned that trust in practice with their attitude, with theirwork ethic, with their mindset, I like to say with that heart of a warrior means they're
out there competing every single drill and consistently.
Here's an example I give all the time.
I want them to have this mindset every time they're on the ice, whether it be practice ora game.
(07:20):
They are trying out.
It's a tryout.
They're trying out for more ice time.
They're trying out for leadership roles.
They're trying out in front of the coach, coaches, to earn that trust, to earn thatrespect, to earn ice time and leadership roles, to earn that tap.
All right, your line's next.
Get out there.
If you want it, you got to be willing to do the things that others aren't willing to do.
(07:44):
And I know parents, there's probably some of the same things you're already saying to yourkiddos.
I get it.
But how many times have you said something over and over and over again and then a coachwill say the exact same thing and the kid will say, hey, I've never heard that before.
And you're like, my gosh, I'm going to wring your freaking neck because you've been sayingit over and over again.
Well, I went through that too as a parent and coach, martial arts instructor, my kids inthe class.
(08:10):
A lot of times I'd have to put on at home the master Grogan hat, so to speak, and say,hey, we just talked about this at the studio.
What are you doing here?
And that's all part of teenage athletes and kids in general.
You got to remind them over and over and over again.
But as a parent, sometimes they tune out.
So that's why, and I know most teenagers don't listen to podcast, but I strongly encourageyou to like, subscribe and ring the bell on YouTube.
(08:35):
Have them watch this, have them listen.
And the podcast is worldwide now, so you can subscribe on your favorite podcast app andlisten to it in the car.
And then I take the podcast and I break it up in chunks.
So we got short little tidbit bites.
of information that you can share with them as well.
So if you haven't already, make sure you like, subscribe and ring the bell on YouTube andfollow across all social media platforms, Real Rich Grogan, because every day there's some
(08:58):
kind of empowering, motivational, inspiring content to help give them that boost, helpgive you that boost to be the best parent, coach, and if you're a player as well, those
little extra tips.
But back to the topic of today's show, consistency.
Now,
I had a coach once tell me, and then my martial arts instructor would constantly remind meof this phrase.
(09:22):
The phrase is, how you practice is how you perform.
Tweaking a little bit for hockey, it's how you practice is how you play.
Meaning, in practice, if you're giving it all you got, you're skating to the line, you'rewinning every puck battle, you're competing because you're essentially trying out for more
ice time, you're programming your mind.
This is how I practice.
(09:43):
Man, this is how I'm going to perform.
Because the unfortunate reality is,
When the pressure's on, you're going to fall to the level of the standards that you've setfor yourself.
And those standards are set by giving it all you got in practice.
Now, example I like to give all the time is all the players.
say, hey, here.
I'll flip off the lights in the locker room and then flip them right back on.
(10:05):
And I'll say, what happened?
And of course, the players, oh, you flipped the lights off?
Yeah, good observation.
Exactly right.
I did.
I flipped the lights off and flipped them back on.
But that light, when I flipped the switch,
automatically came back on.
Why?
Well, it came back on because that energy was waiting there to be released.
And when I flipped that switch, that energy came out.
(10:25):
It lit the locker room up.
Well, it's the same thing.
If you're constantly building that energy by what you do at practice, what you do at home,your workouts, your stretching, your conditioning, your nutrition, then when you flip that
switch in the game, man, that energy is there waiting to be released.
However,
The light switch example, if the power was out, there was no energy waiting to bereleased.
(10:50):
I could flip that light switch all day long and nothing's going to happen because therewas no energy built up waiting to be released.
That energy has to be built up at the power plants and shipped to the location, the lockerroom.
So when I flip that switch, well, it's the same thing.
The player has to build that energy up.
And it starts with that mindset, that attitude of excellence, that attitude that I amgoing to give it all I've got.
(11:13):
And I've shared with you countless times, I'm not a very big person.
I was always, if not the smallest, one of the shortest smallest players on every singleteam I played on.
And I was never one of the most naturally gifted athletes.
I had to scratch, claw, literally bite, just to stand out, just to get noticed.
And I had a coach tell me when I was young, look, you're probably gonna be one of thesmaller guys on all your teams.
(11:35):
But you grew up on a farm, you've got great work ethic, you got a great attitude, that'swhat you need to do to stand out.
And that's served me my whole life.
know, hockey was always my first love.
I've also played baseball and football.
And same thing.
I got starting positions, not because I was the biggest or most talented, certainly wasn'tthe most strongest or tallest, but it's because I caught the coach's eye by willing to do
(12:00):
the things that others weren't willing to do.
And that's what I share on every show.
And it's my whole goal.
For those that don't know, if you're tuning in for the first time, thank you very much fortaking time out of your day.
And those that
are here every single week.
Thank you so very much for continuing to come back.
But my goal is to simply be the mentor that I always wanted, needed in my life.
Sharing life lessons as a player, as a coach, as a parent, as an organizational leader, asan athlete, as a martial artist, to help you learn from my mistakes.
(12:30):
And there were many.
And I still keep making mistakes.
And there's an old saying, he with few failures is he who hasn't lived.
So it's not like we enjoy making mistakes.
But if you're not constantly pushing yourself, yeah, you may never make a mistake yourwhole life, but, man, you're really not pushing yourself to see what you're capable of.
Well, back to consistency.
And that's the warrior confidence tip.
(12:51):
Consistency is key.
How you practice is how you perform.
How you practice is how you play.
So in the Martial Arts Academy, I talk about all the time, we're doing self-defense, likewrist grabs or chokes or blocking a punch or a kick or tackle defense, whatever we're
working on.
And we primarily focused on
practical self-defense, life skills, and character development.
(13:12):
It all starts with a mindset.
That's where the warrior confidence comes from.
The warrior confidence is having that belief in yourself to stand out from the crowd.
You may be scared to death.
It may be something brand new, but you're going to attack it with that warrior heart.
You're going to attack it with that attitude of excellence.
You're going to attack it with that mindset of a champion and that work ethic of anunderdog, easy for me to say.
(13:33):
And you're going to stand out from the crowd.
That's what warrior confidence is.
Knowing.
And it's going to be scary, but I'm going to do it anyway.
Why?
Because I want to get better.
I want to excel.
Well, that's the attitude of every time you step on the ice, it's an audition.
It's a tryout.
That's how you're going to practice.
So when the game comes and when you flip that switch, you've already gained and earned thecoach's trust.
(13:55):
Now you're going to go out there and perform.
And trust is solidified in games, but it's earned in practice.
So consistently, is your athlete given it all they got in practice?
Or are they just kind blended in with the crowd?
Consistently, are they skating hard all the way to the line, stopping hard and skating allthe way back?
Or are they coasting, coaches and look and they just kind of go through the motions?
(14:19):
When a coach is talking to them, they're rolling their eyes and rolling their head or theymake an eye contact.
Focus, that's how respect is earned and gained.
That's how trust is earned and gained.
And that's how ice time is earned and gained.
So back to the topic of this podcast here, the real reason coaches don't trust yourathlete
They're probably doing one those things consistently that drive the coaches nuts.
(14:41):
They're rolling their eyes.
They're shrugging their shoulders.
They're hanging their head or they're saying when a coach gets on to them, the coach say,why are you doing this?
I told you, here's where you need to be.
This is your position.
You need to stay here.
You got to go and stop Roman all over the ice.
And the athlete will say, yeah, I know.
Well, if you knew why'd you do it?
(15:02):
That's my reply every single time.
So if that's something your athlete constantly says or does, tell them to zip it.
Just close your mouth and listen, being respectful.
And doesn't mean they're always going to agree with the coach, but gosh darn, the coachhas got probably more years of experience.
Well, I've been coaching now for over 40 years, started when I was a teen.
Now, did I know much back then?
(15:23):
No.
Do know much now?
I guess a little bit over 40 plus years, but I'm constantly still learning and growing.
And I promise you, I'm never going to single out an athlete, good or bad.
by just making something up.
There's too many other things going on.
That's a conversation I had last year with a couple of players on our varsity high schoolteam.
They would come to the bench, the head coach would point it out, get out the board, andthey're like, oh, I didn't do that, coach.
(15:47):
We're like, do you think we're just making these things up?
We got a whole team of 20 players to worry about winning games, dealing with line changes,dealing with officiating, and everything else that goes on in a fast, high-paced game as
ice hockey, which is why we love it.
You think we're just going to make something up?
Well, I don't think I did that.
Of course, there's a beautiful thing now called ByBorn.
(16:09):
So we tell the kids, go back and watch it.
Here, look at the time.
638 in a second period.
I want you to go back and watch it.
Well, well, then close your mouth.
Now, I know that sounds harsh, but if the coach is taking the time to help the player withsomething they did wrong or, you know, obviously they never never complain about something
(16:29):
they did good.
They remember that.
Well, then I could make something up.
Once again, that's a reason the coach could be like, you know what?
I'm done.
I'm trying to help you here.
I've got, like I said, 20 players on the bench here that I got to worry about this game.
If you're not willing to listen, you're not willing to learn, you're not willing to behumble enough to grow, then you know what?
(16:53):
You're going to find your butt on the bench because I can't trust you because if you don'tthink you made a mistake, if you don't think you did something wrong and you think I'm
just making stuff up,
then I got time for that.
And that's the reality of things, especially the higher levels you get.
You high school varsity, D3, D2, D1, juniors.
It's all about, look, I'm helping you.
(17:14):
If you're going to be disrespectful, that's it.
You're going to ride the pine.
Well, I guess it's not pine anymore.
Nowadays, it's like synthetic plastic or something, whatever they make the benches out of.
Anyway, back to the consistency.
Consistency is key.
Are they battling in all three zones?
Are they battling in the corners, winning those puck battles?
Are they battling in front of the net?
Are they battling picking up their back check?
(17:35):
Or are they just cherry picking up the blue line, hanging out, not getting back in thezone, only putting on the gas, getting on it when the play is in the offensive zone?
Those things are noticed.
And that could be a very reason why they are or aren't getting the ice time that you want.
Now, are those things you can fix?
Absolutely.
(17:55):
That's why I'm sharing it with you.
It all starts with that commitment.
Commitment to consistency.
Or one of my mentors, Tom Ziegler, the legendary Zig Ziegler's son, he talks about PC allthe time.
And it's not the politically correct nonsense that has engulfed the world.
PC stands for persistent consistency.
(18:17):
Be persistent in everything you do and then consistently do that.
So when I step on the ice, be persistent in winning those puck battles.
Be persistent in
owning that back check, be persistent and doing everything you can in all three zones.
And then consistently do it day in and day out.
Consistently do it every single shift.
(18:38):
Because once again, remember, every shift is an audition.
Every shift is a tryout for more shifts.
And how is that all gained?
How is all that learned?
How is that trust and respect built?
In practice.
How you practice is how you perform.
How you practice is how you play.
And once again, in pressure situations,
A lot of people say, oh, you rise to your standards.
(18:59):
No, you don't.
The pressure mounts, man.
It's heavy.
It's hard.
It's a key game situation.
It's a playoff game.
Man, you got to have this win.
You're down by one goal.
You're protecting one goal lead.
The pressure's on.
You're going to fall to your standards.
You're going to fall to level you're training.
That's how it is.
Now, doesn't mean you can't ramp it up.
You can.
But when you're tired, you're late in a shift, it's that grit.
(19:23):
It's that tenacity.
It's that resilience.
It's that determination that you built up in practice.
That's having that energy.
And here's another thing about consistency.
Oftentimes, especially at the youth amateur level, players are consistently on the iceway, way, way too long.
Do you know what the average shift in the NHL is?
(19:43):
If you know, throw it in the comments.
Well, the average shift in the NHL is 40 to 45 seconds.
That's the average.
Now, I know your athlete is extremely gifted, talented, and has all kinds of energy.
I don't know if they're quite as heavy endurance, the strength, the tenacity that an NHLplayer has.
(20:05):
And if they're all on the ice for 40 to 45 seconds, there's no reason for your athlete tobe out there any longer than that.
Because what happens is if you're out there too long, then suddenly your body's tired.
Your legs are heavy.
Your lungs are pounding.
So you're not going to be as strong on your stick.
You're not going to be as strong in the corners battling for the puck.
You're not going to be a strong tie in the guy up in front of the net.
(20:27):
because you just don't have the energy.
40 to 45 seconds of max.
Get your butt up and down the ice.
Give it all you got.
Get off the ice.
Grab a drink.
Work on your hockey IQ by watching the person that is lined up across from you, watchingwhat their tendencies are.
And then your next shift, get out there and learn from it.
And I always tell the players, every time you step on the ice, your attitude is, I amwinning this shift.
(20:50):
I am winning this puck battle.
I'm winning every part of this 40 seconds, 45 seconds that I'm on the ice.
And when I get off the ice, I grab my drink, I evaluate what went wrong, what went right,and then how to improve on it.
And if the coach gets on to me, I make an eye contact.
I'm not rolling my shoulders.
I'm not rolling my eyes.
I'm not putting my head down.
I'm not saying, yeah, I know, coach.
(21:12):
Once again, those things are what's going to find your kiddo on the bench.
Now, can they fix it?
We talked about this.
Yes.
They got to be willing to do it.
And here's
the unfortunate but also fortunate side of things, it's easier than ever to do thosethings because so few are willing to do it.
That's how you stand out from the crowd.
(21:33):
That's how you get noticed.
That's how you get ice time.
That's how you gain the coaches trust, the respect.
That's how you get out there in key game situations by consistently doing the rightthings.
Consistently perform at your best, you're going to be out there.
You consistently dog it, roll your eyes, disrespectful, you're going to sit the bench.
(21:53):
So, throw it in the comments, either yes or no, or you're talk to your kid, is yourathlete gonna do these things?
And as I mentioned, man, share this with them.
Listen to it again.
And the thing about listening to more than once is every time you listen to or even read abook more than once, you're gonna be at a higher level of learning and you're gonna pick
(22:13):
up on something that you missed the first time because the brain can only process so much.
That's why I've shortened these podcasts.
They used to be.
Oh, well, my goodness, 30 minutes at the very minimum, but anywhere from 45 minutes to anhour plus.
Now I'm trying to keep them between the old 20 to 25 little bite sized pieces and thenjust share and focus on one warrior confidence tip.
(22:34):
And that warrior confidence tip today is consistency is key.
How you practice is how you perform.
All right.
Hey, as always, if you have not picked up a copy of my how to get more ice time book,boom, right here, get it on Amazon.
Get more ice time.com is the direct link.
course, the link is in the description box in the show notes.
Check it out.
It's got everything you need to know.
(22:55):
And look, the book, it's not a wall of words.
It's written telling your athlete exactly what they need.
And we've got our programs.
And I'll tell you, we got our masterclass video, which a 45 minute question and answermasterclass video where I answer all the questions on debunking myths about communication,
work ethic, respect, discipline, how to get was like the title is how to get more ice timeright there.
(23:18):
And it's only nine bucks.
Nine bucks.
Pick up a copy.
And then for few dollars more, you can grab the Quick Start Guide.
It's a workbook, Quick Start Guidebook.
It's an audible version.
It's several worksheets.
And then if you want the whole package there, I think it's going right now for 97 bucks.
But that's a six-week workbook.
And coaches, you want it for your team and your organization?
(23:40):
And listen, I'll work with your team for four straight weeks.
We'll go through every single week of the workbook.
And back and forth, we're going to hold the players, the parents.
and the coaches all accountable, we're gonna set the goals and then make sure everybody'son the same page.
It's amazing.
So reach out, warriorconfidence.com and we can get some set up with your organizationthere.
Sound good?
(24:00):
All right, so in closing, how you practice is how you perform.
Consistency is key.
If you want something bad enough, you'll find a way.
If your athlete wants ice time bad enough, they'll work for it.
If they don't, they're gonna be like, unfortunately, the majority of society.
and make excuses, blame others, play the poor pity patty victim card.
(24:22):
Don't do that, man.
Because hockey, well, as much as we all love it, it is essentially, it's a recipe forsuccess in all areas of life.
If you learn how to earn ice time, you learn how to earn the coach's trust, you learn howto earn the coach's respect, and then you carry that off into the real world when you get
a job, man, man, you're going to stand out from the crowd and you're going to excel.
(24:45):
Why?
Why keep saying it?
because so few are willing to do it.
1 % better each and every day.
Consistently do the little things that others aren't willing to do.
Sound good?
All right, well good stuff.
So, drop a fire emoji in the comments to let me know that you're on fire, you're gonnahelp your athlete, you're gonna share this with them, and they're gonna do what they can
(25:05):
to gain that coach's trust, to get that ice time, to get those leadership roles, get putin key game situations, and to stand out and be the absolute very best athlete, leader.
and hero they were born to be.
And then most importantly, leading with integrity in all areas of life, on and off theice.
Good?
All right, everybody.
(25:25):
Thank you so very much for tuning in today.
I truly appreciate it.
If you found value in this, please share it with someone else that you know could benefit.
And if we've earned it, we love those five star reviews on the podcast apps and of courseon our YouTube channel.
Make sure you like, subscribe, ring that bell so you never miss an episode and then followReal Rich Grogan across all social media platforms.
I love you.
(25:46):
God loves you.
Please, you get out there and share that love with the world and do what you do best and Ipromise you'll be your very best.
God bless you.
God bless your loved ones.
Can't wait to read your comments and I can't wait to chat with you again real soon.
Have a blessed day.
Talk to you soon.
Bye bye.
how consistent is your athlete?
Meaning, every time they step on the ice, are they consistently putting forth their very,best?
Or are they consistently dogging it?
Are they consistently being respectful and making eye contact when the coach is talking tothem?
Or they rolling their eyes, hanging their shoulder?
Are they consistently bringing it every single time they're on the ice, whether it bepractice or a game?
(00:34):
Or are they just kind of blending in and going with emotions?
Well, this episode, we're talking about the real reason coaches bench kids
coaches don't trust players and what to do about it.
So make sure you tune in.
Make sure you share this with someone who could benefit from it and we'll be right backwith you.
(01:14):
how consistent is your athlete?
Meaning, every single time they step on the ice, are they consistently bringing theirbest, giving it all they got, doing that little bit extra, or they consistently just kind
of blending in with the crowd, going with the flow, dogging it when the coach isn't Onlyyou can answer that question and only you can help your athlete recognize, look man, in
(01:35):
order to gain the coach's trust, in order to get the ice time you want, in order to getyour tail off the bench and on the ice, in key game situations,
You've got to consistently perform at your very, best.
And that's exactly what we're talking about today.
So find value in this.
Make sure you share it with someone else.
(02:06):
how consistent is your athlete?
Meaning, when they're on the ice, are they consistently giving it all they got?
They consistently giving it their absolute very, very best?
Are they consistently working as hard as they possibly can?
Or are they consistently dogging it?
Consistently waiting for the coach to turn his back so they can just go through themotions, stopping short of the line?
Are they consistently making eye contact when the coach is talking to them?
(02:28):
Or are rolling their eyes, being disrespectful?
Only you can answer that question.
Well,
Today, we're going to talk about the real reason players either earn or lose the coach'strust, which leads to either earning or losing ice time and exactly what to do about it.
So make sure you tune in today's show.
And if you find value in this, make sure you share it with someone that also couldbenefit.
(03:07):
Greetings champions, Master Coach Rich Grogan here with the Warrior Confidants.
(04:00):
Greetings, champions.
Master Coach Rich Grogan here.
Hope you're having a fantastic day.
Welcome to the Warrior Hockey Confidence Podcast.
(04:25):
greetings edge champions.
Master coach Rich Grogan here.
Hope you're having a fantastic day.
Welcome to the Warrior Confidence Hockey Podcast.
The go-to show for parents, players, coaches, organizations, those who are wanting tolearn a little bit to stand out from the crowd, to earn that ice time, to develop those
championship teams, that championship culture that stands out from the crowd.
(04:48):
That season that man you're like, this season's the best season ever as opposed to.
man, I can't wait for this season to end.
Every single show, I'm to be talking from a coach's point of view, a parent's point ofview, a player's point of view, an organizational leader's point of view to help share
tidbits, warrior confidence tips with you and your athlete to help them grow andessentially get what they all want most.
(05:10):
I mean, what do you want as a player, as a parent for your kiddo there?
Well, the players want ice time, parents want ice time, coaches want to reward playerswith ice time because the ones they reward with the ice time are the ones that are to work
hard and help build the team.
And when the team's better, the season is better.
You perform better.
You win more games.
You win championships.
And that's exactly what we're talking about today.
(05:31):
Now, this is episode number 395, 395.
And it's the real reason coaches don't trust your athlete and what to do about it.
Now, the last show, and when you're done with this one, go back and listen to that one,episode 394.
We talked about, if you as a parent, would you trust your athlete enough to put them inkey game situations, to put them
(05:52):
late in the game when the game's on the line or the penalty kill, the power play.
And if the answer wasn't a resounding yes, then that was the problem.
And we talked about what to do to go about fixing that.
Well, today, we're going to dive right in and talk about the reason that maybe yourathlete isn't getting as much ice time as they want, much ice time as you'd like for them
(06:12):
to get.
And all revolves around consistency.
Consistency is key.
Now, so I asked the question at very beginning.
is your athlete consistently giving it all they got?
Are they consistently bringing a positive mental attitude?
Are they consistently bringing their absolute very best work ethic to the rink?
Are they consistently working out at home, stretching, doing the little things behind thescenes?
(06:36):
Or are they consistently bringing a bad attitude, showing up late, dogging it at practice?
And here's the thing.
Trust is solidified in games, but trust is earned in practice.
And as a coach,
You know, in key game situations, we can only put the players out there that we trust themost.
Why?
The game is on the line.
I mean, it just makes sense.
(06:58):
And if the player hasn't earned that trust in practice with their attitude, with theirwork ethic, with their mindset, I like to say with that heart of a warrior means they're
out there competing every single drill and consistently.
Here's an example I give all the time.
I want them to have this mindset every time they're on the ice, whether it be practice ora game.
(07:20):
They are trying out.
It's a tryout.
They're trying out for more ice time.
They're trying out for leadership roles.
They're trying out in front of the coach, coaches, to earn that trust, to earn thatrespect, to earn ice time and leadership roles, to earn that tap.
All right, your line's next.
Get out there.
If you want it, you got to be willing to do the things that others aren't willing to do.
(07:44):
And I know parents, there's probably some of the same things you're already saying to yourkiddos.
I get it.
But how many times have you said something over and over and over again and then a coachwill say the exact same thing and the kid will say, hey, I've never heard that before.
And you're like, my gosh, I'm going to wring your freaking neck because you've been sayingit over and over again.
Well, I went through that too as a parent and coach, martial arts instructor, my kids inthe class.
(08:10):
A lot of times I'd have to put on at home the master Grogan hat, so to speak, and say,hey, we just talked about this at the studio.
What are you doing here?
And that's all part of teenage athletes and kids in general.
You got to remind them over and over and over again.
But as a parent, sometimes they tune out.
So that's why, and I know most teenagers don't listen to podcast, but I strongly encourageyou to like, subscribe and ring the bell on YouTube.
(08:35):
Have them watch this, have them listen.
And the podcast is worldwide now, so you can subscribe on your favorite podcast app andlisten to it in the car.
And then I take the podcast and I break it up in chunks.
So we got short little tidbit bites.
of information that you can share with them as well.
So if you haven't already, make sure you like, subscribe and ring the bell on YouTube andfollow across all social media platforms, Real Rich Grogan, because every day there's some
(08:58):
kind of empowering, motivational, inspiring content to help give them that boost, helpgive you that boost to be the best parent, coach, and if you're a player as well, those
little extra tips.
But back to the topic of today's show, consistency.
Now,
I had a coach once tell me, and then my martial arts instructor would constantly remind meof this phrase.
(09:22):
The phrase is, how you practice is how you perform.
Tweaking a little bit for hockey, it's how you practice is how you play.
Meaning, in practice, if you're giving it all you got, you're skating to the line, you'rewinning every puck battle, you're competing because you're essentially trying out for more
ice time, you're programming your mind.
This is how I practice.
(09:43):
Man, this is how I'm going to perform.
Because the unfortunate reality is,
When the pressure's on, you're going to fall to the level of the standards that you've setfor yourself.
And those standards are set by giving it all you got in practice.
Now, example I like to give all the time is all the players.
say, hey, here.
I'll flip off the lights in the locker room and then flip them right back on.
(10:05):
And I'll say, what happened?
And of course, the players, oh, you flipped the lights off?
Yeah, good observation.
Exactly right.
I did.
I flipped the lights off and flipped them back on.
But that light, when I flipped the switch,
automatically came back on.
Why?
Well, it came back on because that energy was waiting there to be released.
And when I flipped that switch, that energy came out.
(10:25):
It lit the locker room up.
Well, it's the same thing.
If you're constantly building that energy by what you do at practice, what you do at home,your workouts, your stretching, your conditioning, your nutrition, then when you flip that
switch in the game, man, that energy is there waiting to be released.
However,
The light switch example, if the power was out, there was no energy waiting to bereleased.
(10:50):
I could flip that light switch all day long and nothing's going to happen because therewas no energy built up waiting to be released.
That energy has to be built up at the power plants and shipped to the location, the lockerroom.
So when I flip that switch, well, it's the same thing.
The player has to build that energy up.
And it starts with that mindset, that attitude of excellence, that attitude that I amgoing to give it all I've got.
(11:13):
And I've shared with you countless times, I'm not a very big person.
I was always, if not the smallest, one of the shortest smallest players on every singleteam I played on.
And I was never one of the most naturally gifted athletes.
I had to scratch, claw, literally bite, just to stand out, just to get noticed.
And I had a coach tell me when I was young, look, you're probably gonna be one of thesmaller guys on all your teams.
(11:35):
But you grew up on a farm, you've got great work ethic, you got a great attitude, that'swhat you need to do to stand out.
And that's served me my whole life.
know, hockey was always my first love.
I've also played baseball and football.
And same thing.
I got starting positions, not because I was the biggest or most talented, certainly wasn'tthe most strongest or tallest, but it's because I caught the coach's eye by willing to do
(12:00):
the things that others weren't willing to do.
And that's what I share on every show.
And it's my whole goal.
For those that don't know, if you're tuning in for the first time, thank you very much fortaking time out of your day.
And those that
are here every single week.
Thank you so very much for continuing to come back.
But my goal is to simply be the mentor that I always wanted, needed in my life.
Sharing life lessons as a player, as a coach, as a parent, as an organizational leader, asan athlete, as a martial artist, to help you learn from my mistakes.
(12:30):
And there were many.
And I still keep making mistakes.
And there's an old saying, he with few failures is he who hasn't lived.
So it's not like we enjoy making mistakes.
But if you're not constantly pushing yourself, yeah, you may never make a mistake yourwhole life, but, man, you're really not pushing yourself to see what you're capable of.
Well, back to consistency.
And that's the warrior confidence tip.
(12:51):
Consistency is key.
How you practice is how you perform.
How you practice is how you play.
So in the Martial Arts Academy, I talk about all the time, we're doing self-defense, likewrist grabs or chokes or blocking a punch or a kick or tackle defense, whatever we're
working on.
And we primarily focused on
practical self-defense, life skills, and character development.
(13:12):
It all starts with a mindset.
That's where the warrior confidence comes from.
The warrior confidence is having that belief in yourself to stand out from the crowd.
You may be scared to death.
It may be something brand new, but you're going to attack it with that warrior heart.
You're going to attack it with that attitude of excellence.
You're going to attack it with that mindset of a champion and that work ethic of anunderdog, easy for me to say.
(13:33):
And you're going to stand out from the crowd.
That's what warrior confidence is.
Knowing.
And it's going to be scary, but I'm going to do it anyway.
Why?
Because I want to get better.
I want to excel.
Well, that's the attitude of every time you step on the ice, it's an audition.
It's a tryout.
That's how you're going to practice.
So when the game comes and when you flip that switch, you've already gained and earned thecoach's trust.
(13:55):
Now you're going to go out there and perform.
And trust is solidified in games, but it's earned in practice.
So consistently, is your athlete given it all they got in practice?
Or are they just kind blended in with the crowd?
Consistently, are they skating hard all the way to the line, stopping hard and skating allthe way back?
Or are they coasting, coaches and look and they just kind of go through the motions?
(14:19):
When a coach is talking to them, they're rolling their eyes and rolling their head or theymake an eye contact.
Focus, that's how respect is earned and gained.
That's how trust is earned and gained.
And that's how ice time is earned and gained.
So back to the topic of this podcast here, the real reason coaches don't trust yourathlete
They're probably doing one those things consistently that drive the coaches nuts.
(14:41):
They're rolling their eyes.
They're shrugging their shoulders.
They're hanging their head or they're saying when a coach gets on to them, the coach say,why are you doing this?
I told you, here's where you need to be.
This is your position.
You need to stay here.
You got to go and stop Roman all over the ice.
And the athlete will say, yeah, I know.
Well, if you knew why'd you do it?
(15:02):
That's my reply every single time.
So if that's something your athlete constantly says or does, tell them to zip it.
Just close your mouth and listen, being respectful.
And doesn't mean they're always going to agree with the coach, but gosh darn, the coachhas got probably more years of experience.
Well, I've been coaching now for over 40 years, started when I was a teen.
Now, did I know much back then?
(15:23):
No.
Do know much now?
I guess a little bit over 40 plus years, but I'm constantly still learning and growing.
And I promise you, I'm never going to single out an athlete, good or bad.
by just making something up.
There's too many other things going on.
That's a conversation I had last year with a couple of players on our varsity high schoolteam.
They would come to the bench, the head coach would point it out, get out the board, andthey're like, oh, I didn't do that, coach.
(15:47):
We're like, do you think we're just making these things up?
We got a whole team of 20 players to worry about winning games, dealing with line changes,dealing with officiating, and everything else that goes on in a fast, high-paced game as
ice hockey, which is why we love it.
You think we're just going to make something up?
Well, I don't think I did that.
Of course, there's a beautiful thing now called ByBorn.
(16:09):
So we tell the kids, go back and watch it.
Here, look at the time.
638 in a second period.
I want you to go back and watch it.
Well, well, then close your mouth.
Now, I know that sounds harsh, but if the coach is taking the time to help the player withsomething they did wrong or, you know, obviously they never never complain about something
(16:29):
they did good.
They remember that.
Well, then I could make something up.
Once again, that's a reason the coach could be like, you know what?
I'm done.
I'm trying to help you here.
I've got, like I said, 20 players on the bench here that I got to worry about this game.
If you're not willing to listen, you're not willing to learn, you're not willing to behumble enough to grow, then you know what?
(16:53):
You're going to find your butt on the bench because I can't trust you because if you don'tthink you made a mistake, if you don't think you did something wrong and you think I'm
just making stuff up,
then I got time for that.
And that's the reality of things, especially the higher levels you get.
You high school varsity, D3, D2, D1, juniors.
It's all about, look, I'm helping you.
(17:14):
If you're going to be disrespectful, that's it.
You're going to ride the pine.
Well, I guess it's not pine anymore.
Nowadays, it's like synthetic plastic or something, whatever they make the benches out of.
Anyway, back to the consistency.
Consistency is key.
Are they battling in all three zones?
Are they battling in the corners, winning those puck battles?
Are they battling in front of the net?
Are they battling picking up their back check?
(17:35):
Or are they just cherry picking up the blue line, hanging out, not getting back in thezone, only putting on the gas, getting on it when the play is in the offensive zone?
Those things are noticed.
And that could be a very reason why they are or aren't getting the ice time that you want.
Now, are those things you can fix?
Absolutely.
(17:55):
That's why I'm sharing it with you.
It all starts with that commitment.
Commitment to consistency.
Or one of my mentors, Tom Ziegler, the legendary Zig Ziegler's son, he talks about PC allthe time.
And it's not the politically correct nonsense that has engulfed the world.
PC stands for persistent consistency.
(18:17):
Be persistent in everything you do and then consistently do that.
So when I step on the ice, be persistent in winning those puck battles.
Be persistent in
owning that back check, be persistent and doing everything you can in all three zones.
And then consistently do it day in and day out.
Consistently do it every single shift.
(18:38):
Because once again, remember, every shift is an audition.
Every shift is a tryout for more shifts.
And how is that all gained?
How is all that learned?
How is that trust and respect built?
In practice.
How you practice is how you perform.
How you practice is how you play.
And once again, in pressure situations,
A lot of people say, oh, you rise to your standards.
(18:59):
No, you don't.
The pressure mounts, man.
It's heavy.
It's hard.
It's a key game situation.
It's a playoff game.
Man, you got to have this win.
You're down by one goal.
You're protecting one goal lead.
The pressure's on.
You're going to fall to your standards.
You're going to fall to level you're training.
That's how it is.
Now, doesn't mean you can't ramp it up.
You can.
But when you're tired, you're late in a shift, it's that grit.
(19:23):
It's that tenacity.
It's that resilience.
It's that determination that you built up in practice.
That's having that energy.
And here's another thing about consistency.
Oftentimes, especially at the youth amateur level, players are consistently on the iceway, way, way too long.
Do you know what the average shift in the NHL is?
(19:43):
If you know, throw it in the comments.
Well, the average shift in the NHL is 40 to 45 seconds.
That's the average.
Now, I know your athlete is extremely gifted, talented, and has all kinds of energy.
I don't know if they're quite as heavy endurance, the strength, the tenacity that an NHLplayer has.
(20:05):
And if they're all on the ice for 40 to 45 seconds, there's no reason for your athlete tobe out there any longer than that.
Because what happens is if you're out there too long, then suddenly your body's tired.
Your legs are heavy.
Your lungs are pounding.
So you're not going to be as strong on your stick.
You're not going to be as strong in the corners battling for the puck.
You're not going to be a strong tie in the guy up in front of the net.
(20:27):
because you just don't have the energy.
40 to 45 seconds of max.
Get your butt up and down the ice.
Give it all you got.
Get off the ice.
Grab a drink.
Work on your hockey IQ by watching the person that is lined up across from you, watchingwhat their tendencies are.
And then your next shift, get out there and learn from it.
And I always tell the players, every time you step on the ice, your attitude is, I amwinning this shift.
(20:50):
I am winning this puck battle.
I'm winning every part of this 40 seconds, 45 seconds that I'm on the ice.
And when I get off the ice, I grab my drink, I evaluate what went wrong, what went right,and then how to improve on it.
And if the coach gets on to me, I make an eye contact.
I'm not rolling my shoulders.
I'm not rolling my eyes.
I'm not putting my head down.
I'm not saying, yeah, I know, coach.
(21:12):
Once again, those things are what's going to find your kiddo on the bench.
Now, can they fix it?
We talked about this.
Yes.
They got to be willing to do it.
And here's
the unfortunate but also fortunate side of things, it's easier than ever to do thosethings because so few are willing to do it.
That's how you stand out from the crowd.
(21:33):
That's how you get noticed.
That's how you get ice time.
That's how you gain the coaches trust, the respect.
That's how you get out there in key game situations by consistently doing the rightthings.
Consistently perform at your best, you're going to be out there.
You consistently dog it, roll your eyes, disrespectful, you're going to sit the bench.
(21:53):
So, throw it in the comments, either yes or no, or you're talk to your kid, is yourathlete gonna do these things?
And as I mentioned, man, share this with them.
Listen to it again.
And the thing about listening to more than once is every time you listen to or even read abook more than once, you're gonna be at a higher level of learning and you're gonna pick
(22:13):
up on something that you missed the first time because the brain can only process so much.
That's why I've shortened these podcasts.
They used to be.
Oh, well, my goodness, 30 minutes at the very minimum, but anywhere from 45 minutes to anhour plus.
Now I'm trying to keep them between the old 20 to 25 little bite sized pieces and thenjust share and focus on one warrior confidence tip.
(22:34):
And that warrior confidence tip today is consistency is key.
How you practice is how you perform.
All right.
Hey, as always, if you have not picked up a copy of my how to get more ice time book,boom, right here, get it on Amazon.
Get more ice time.com is the direct link.
course, the link is in the description box in the show notes.
Check it out.
It's got everything you need to know.
(22:55):
And look, the book, it's not a wall of words.
It's written telling your athlete exactly what they need.
And we've got our programs.
And I'll tell you, we got our masterclass video, which a 45 minute question and answermasterclass video where I answer all the questions on debunking myths about communication,
work ethic, respect, discipline, how to get was like the title is how to get more ice timeright there.
(23:18):
And it's only nine bucks.
Nine bucks.
Pick up a copy.
And then for few dollars more, you can grab the Quick Start Guide.
It's a workbook, Quick Start Guidebook.
It's an audible version.
It's several worksheets.
And then if you want the whole package there, I think it's going right now for 97 bucks.
But that's a six-week workbook.
And coaches, you want it for your team and your organization?
(23:40):
And listen, I'll work with your team for four straight weeks.
We'll go through every single week of the workbook.
And back and forth, we're going to hold the players, the parents.
and the coaches all accountable, we're gonna set the goals and then make sure everybody'son the same page.
It's amazing.
So reach out, warriorconfidence.com and we can get some set up with your organizationthere.
Sound good?
(24:00):
All right, so in closing, how you practice is how you perform.
Consistency is key.
If you want something bad enough, you'll find a way.
If your athlete wants ice time bad enough, they'll work for it.
If they don't, they're gonna be like, unfortunately, the majority of society.
and make excuses, blame others, play the poor pity patty victim card.
(24:22):
Don't do that, man.
Because hockey, well, as much as we all love it, it is essentially, it's a recipe forsuccess in all areas of life.
If you learn how to earn ice time, you learn how to earn the coach's trust, you learn howto earn the coach's respect, and then you carry that off into the real world when you get
a job, man, man, you're going to stand out from the crowd and you're going to excel.
(24:45):
Why?
Why keep saying it?
because so few are willing to do it.
1 % better each and every day.
Consistently do the little things that others aren't willing to do.
Sound good?
All right, well good stuff.
So, drop a fire emoji in the comments to let me know that you're on fire, you're gonnahelp your athlete, you're gonna share this with them, and they're gonna do what they can
(25:05):
to gain that coach's trust, to get that ice time, to get those leadership roles, get putin key game situations, and to stand out and be the absolute very best athlete, leader.
and hero they were born to be.
And then most importantly, leading with integrity in all areas of life, on and off theice.
Good?
All right, everybody.
(25:25):
Thank you so very much for tuning in today.
I truly appreciate it.
If you found value in this, please share it with someone else that you know could benefit.
And if we've earned it, we love those five star reviews on the podcast apps and of courseon our YouTube channel.
Make sure you like, subscribe, ring that bell so you never miss an episode and then followReal Rich Grogan across all social media platforms.
I love you.
(25:46):
God loves you.
Please, you get out there and share that love with the world and do what you do best and Ipromise you'll be your very best.
God bless you.
God bless your loved ones.
Can't wait to read your comments and I can't wait to chat with you again real soon.
Have a blessed day.
Talk to you soon.
Bye bye.
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