May 19, 2025 • 26 mins
Ep. #398 Why Hard Work Alone Won’t Get Your Athlete More Ice Time
In this episode of the Warrior Confidence Hockey Podcast, Master Coach Rich Grogan emphasizes the critical balance between hard work and hockey IQ for athletes aiming to excel in the sport. He discusses the importance of understanding the game, developing resilience, and maintaining a positive mindset. Grogan also highlights the significance of teamwork and accountability, urging players to take responsibility for their performance. The episode concludes with resources for further development, including Grogan's book and programs designed to help athletes reach their full potential.
Takeaways
- Hard work is essential, but hockey IQ is equally important.
- Players must understand the game to gain trust from coaches.
- Small mistakes can lead to significant consequences in games.
- Consistent improvement, even by 1%, can lead to success.
- Grit and resilience are crucial for overcoming challenges.
- Mental and spiritual work contribute to an athlete's confidence.
- Accountability in hockey is a personal responsibility.
- Teamwork is vital; success is a collective effort.
- Resources like books and programs can aid in athlete development.
- Players should always strive for more than just good enough.
Sound Bites
"You got to have some kind of hockey IQ."
"One small mistake could be the difference."
"Your attitude is the fuel that fuels the effort."
"Accountability is all on you."
"You want ice time? You want leadership roles?"
Chapters
00:00 The Importance of Hard Work and Hockey IQ
03:13 Understanding the Game: Hockey IQ and Strategy
06:10 The 1% Factor: Consistent Improvement in Hockey
09:05 Developing Grit and Resilience on the Ice
11:57 Mental and Spiritual Work: Building Confidence
14:48 Accountability and Teamwork in Hockey
18:12 The Path to Success: More Than Just Talent
21:11 Resources for Growth: Books and Programs
Special Offers:
🏒 Purchase "How To Get More Ice Time" Masterclass - NOW ONLY $9👉https://warriorconfidence.com/hockey-programs/
🏒 Purchase Best Selling Book “How to Get More Ice Time” www.GetMoreIceTime.com
🔥 Welcome to the Warrior Confidence Hockey Podcast with Coach Rich Grogan, where we are "Unleashing Champions On & Off the Ice" 🏒💪
💡The Champion's Playbook for Parents & Coaches - to help their athletes EARN More Ice Time & Leadership Roles, by standing out with Confidence, Discipline, Respect & Work Ethic!
🎙️ Hosted by Coach Rich Grogan, Founder of Warrior Confidence Hockey—Master Martial Artist, 2X Best-Selling, Award-winning Author, Mentor, Speaker, and Leadership Expert.
With over 40 years in martial arts and 50 years in hockey, Rich empowers players, parents, and coaches to build confidence, respect, and leadership skills to thrive both on and off the ice.
📖 Want more tools to help your player stand out?
📚 Grab a copy of How to Get More Ice Time: A Champion’s Playbook at www.GetMoreIceTime.com
💡 Grab a copy of our "How To Get More Ice Time" Masterclass - NOW ONLY $9👉https://warriorconfidence.com/hockey-programs/
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:13):
All right, let's get real here.
You've heard me say countless times, hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard.
That's not my quote.
I borrowed that from someone.
But I get feedback all the time saying, yeah, that hard work, you got to work hard, yougot to work hard, but you got to have some talent.
You got to have some kind of knowledge, some type of hockey IQ.
And I agree, 1,000%.
(00:34):
Because oftentimes, athletes, and I've run into them all the time, which is reallyheartwarming, when they are working their butt off, man, they are given absolutely
everything they've got.
But without having that hockey IQ, without understanding the game, I still don't trustthose athletes to put them in key game situations.
So that might be where your athlete is.
They're working extremely hard.
(00:55):
They're giving it all they've got, but they're still not getting the ice time.
Why?
Well, we're gonna talk about that today.
So make sure you tune in.
(01:16):
Greetings, champions.
Master Coach Rich Grogan here.
Hope you're having a fantastic day.
Thank you so very much for joining me today on the Warrior Confidence Hockey Podcast,which is the ultimate coaching playbook for helping your athletes stand out, get noticed,
gain the ice time, the respect, the leadership roles that they desire, that they crave,that they want the most.
(01:37):
And of course, this podcast is for the hockey community.
It's for players, parents, coaches, organizational leaders.
And I realize that most players
Don't listen to podcasts.
I encourage you to share this with them because a lot of times it's a similar, if not thesame message as you're saying, but it's coming from a different voice.
an organizational leaders, Hey, we'll talk about more as we move through here, but I'vegot all kinds of programs for your organization to help your teams excel and reach that
(02:04):
next level.
Cause the truth of the matter is most teams and organizations don't fail from lack ofskill or talent.
They fail from parent drama, lack of accountability, lack of work ethic, lack ofdiscipline.
and poor communication skills on all sides.
So I can definitely help you with that.
Well, today we're talking about this is episode number 398.
(02:24):
You close it in on 400 baby.
And it's why hustle isn't enough.
What coaches are really looking for.
Well, right now, we talked about it last time.
The NHL playoffs are going on the best time of the year.
NHL playoffs, baby.
Yes.
Why?
The intensity is amplified tenfold.
The grit, the resilience, the determination, the heart, the passion, the work ethic.
(02:48):
I like to say the heart of a warrior, mindset of a champion, attitude of excellence, andwork ethic of an underdog are all on full display.
Because all the teams have made it to the dance, right?
We've made it to the playoffs.
Yes.
Well, what's it going to take to get to that next level?
What's it going to take to get to the second round, then the third round, and then playingfor the Stanley Cup?
(03:09):
What's it going to take?
Well, you're athlete.
What's it going to take for them?
to maybe make that next rec select team, make that travel team, make that high schoolteam, maybe JV or varsity, or get those leadership roles, get those key game minutes.
What's it gonna take?
Well, hard work, yes.
And I said it before, and I'll keep saying it, hard work beats talent when talent doesn'twork hard.
(03:32):
That is a key, key, key component.
But just simply working hard, skating around like a maniac, but not reading the play, notanticipating a play, not knowing what to do with a puck when you get it.
Well, working hard is half the battle.
The hockey IQ is that second half that needs to be applied in order to gain that trust.
Because, yeah, I'm to put hard workers out there, but I also, especially in key gamesituations, we've got to put players out there we can trust.
(03:59):
Players that aren't just going to turn the puck over.
Players that aren't just going to randomly ice the puck or uh turn the puck over in theneutral zone or turn the puck in the offensive zone or turn the puck over the worst at
that gray area.
five foot inside and outside the blue line.
Yeah, I call that the danger zone.
Matter of fact, a lot of times I get the whiteboard out.
(04:20):
What's this area?
Danger zone.
Do not turn the puck over here.
And I'm sure you've shared it with your athlete and with your players all the time on whynot to do it is because the transition game, you got all you guys moving forward, you turn
the puck over inside or outside the blue line, the defensive team's coming out.
They got ahead of steam.
Dump that puck in deep, go to work.
(04:43):
Like I talked about the hockey IQ and my homework assignment that I give players all thetime and please feel free and I'm sure most of parents and coaches already do this is to
watch hockey games.
And right now, playoff hockey is the best time because one small mistake, one littleturnover pucks in the back of your net or you miss an opportunity because you weren't
(05:04):
ready for it.
You turned your back to the play instead of pursuing the play.
One small mistake could be the difference but then I only win in a game.
winning the round, advancing to the next round, or winning or losing the Stanley Cup.
Now I know, players are listening right now, your whole goal is just to make that nextcut, which is my goal with every player, every parent, every coach, every organization I
(05:27):
work with, is to help them excel to that next level.
They've got to do the work.
And the physical work, working out in the gym, working out on the ice, off ice, all thelittle things we talk about on every single episode, like the last episode.
episode 397, I talked about that 1%.
And I talked about that compound effect of that 1%.
And I borrowed part of a book from Jeff Olson called The Slight Edge.
(05:52):
The compound interest of one penny doubled every single day what that turns into.
Now, if you haven't listened to that episode, when you're done here, make sure you listento that episode and share.
And of course, like, subscribe, ring the bell, all those good things to be a part andnever miss an episode.
But that 1%, talking about
every day try and do 1 % more than you did the day before.
(06:14):
So today, you're going to be 1 % better than you were yesterday.
Tomorrow, you're going to be 1 % better than you were the day before.
Today, each day, 1 % more, 1 % more, 1 % more.
I like to talk about it's like a train gathering up speed, getting out of the tournament,chug it, chug it, chug it, chug it.
It takes a little bit to get that train going.
But once that thing is going, man, that freight train, woo, it becomes almost unstoppable.
(06:39):
And depends on the speed, but a train can take anywhere from a mile, two to three,sometimes four to five miles to slow down and stop because that's so much momentum going.
Well, that's that power of, I'd say that 1%.
Well, we talk about work ethic, extremely important.
But if there's no hockey IQ to go along with that, you just got players running around ahaphazard, turning the puck over.
(07:02):
That's not a formula for success.
I tell you, growing up, I was always one of the smaller guys on the
every team I played on.
You've heard this story before.
Work ethic was my key.
I grew up poor on a farm.
So I'm literally hand milking a cow at nine, 10 years old, baling hay, shoveling horsepoo, breaking ice in the wintertime so the horses and cows and other farm animals could
(07:25):
have water, you know, using a big old sledgehammer to break the ice in the water troughthere, carrying buckets of water when the hose was froze.
So work ethic was never a problem.
And I had a coach young tell me, look, there was going be a small guy.
And to be honest, you don't have the most athletic ability or talent.
You got some, but you're to have to stand out with work ethic.
(07:48):
So all I did was skate my butt off.
But didn't have a whole lot of hockey IQ when I was younger.
I didn't even heard of that word before.
And then I another coach come along and said, look, hockey IQ is anticipating what you'regoing to do when you get to the puck.
So that means when you're working hard, this same message I shared in the locker room theother day is skate hard to the puck.
But before you get to the puck,
You're glancing over your shoulder to know if somebody's bearing down on you to protectyourself, get crushed in the boards, to round out the boards.
(08:15):
Also, you're looking for options.
You're looking, when I get to the puck, what am I going to do?
Because if you wait till you get the puck to look around at the speed of the game, andespecially you're watching the NHL and players, talking to you, make sure you're watching.
They're going to look over their shoulder, do a head check before they go to the puck.
One, to see if someone's bearing down, to see how much time they have to protectthemselves.
(08:36):
Like I said, to round the boards out, but it's also to see where are going with a puck?
Are they going down low?
Are they going back up to the point?
Where's my breakout?
Where are my options?
Therefore, you know, when you get to the puck, because sometimes you'll see players like,how the heck did he see him?
How do you make that pass?
Well, it's because he looked over shoulder, did a head check before he got to the puck.
So work hard to get to the puck.
Second thing, go.
(08:58):
And this is so simple, but it was something when I said when I was younger, I just didn'tget and a lot of players just don't get it.
That's why we remind them go to where the puck's going to be.
So if the puck's being rimmed around the boards, don't try and chase the puck.
Go to where it's at.
Go to where it's going.
It makes sense.
And another thing, eh all the goals and I've been around the game, I've been blessed for,well, I guess 50 years now.
(09:22):
90, 95 % of every goal I ever scored was right in front of the net.
Getting in the dirty areas, getting the tar beat out of me by big tall defensemen, twicemy size.
But having the grit, the resilience, the work ethic, the determination that you can't beatme, this is my puck, I'm burying this puck.
And of course I didn't score every single time I touched the puck, that's unrealistic.
But 99.5 % of my goals were right there in front of the net, doing the hard work.
(09:46):
Why?
That's where the puck, that's where the intention's going, right?
The puck is going to the net.
You gotta put the puck on net in order to score, we'll go to where the puck's at, right?
Yeah, crashing hard to the net.
And then being smart, obviously, and finding that open ice.
That's that hockey IQ.
And of course, never stagnate.
You're always moving, always trying to find that soft spot, that open ice.
(10:08):
And then on the defensive side, you're closing that ice.
You're not giving the opposing team any room to breathe, any room to move.
You're closing it off.
But once again, hockey IQ, and this is something we just shared, and that's where I getall the scottish stuff I share with the players all the time.
If they're in the corner or behind the net, they're not going to score from back there.
(10:32):
Cut off their options.
Keep them trapped back there.
They can back there all day long if they want.
Now of course, if you're losing, you gotta be a little more aggressive in order to get thepuck because they're gonna eat the clock.
But once again, game situations, knowing the score, knowing the situation, knowing whatline's out there.
And some of you might be saying, holy cow, that's a lot for a teenage athlete.
(10:55):
Well, is it?
That 1%, that little extra developing that hockey IQ.
You can get that.
by simply watching, observing playoff hockey.
How fast that game is, watching the little things, watching your player out there, seeingwhat they're doing.
And I know the camera follows the puck, so sometimes it's hard to see behind the play ifyou're watching on TV, but watch, how does that player get back so fast?
(11:20):
How are they there?
How are they always in the right spot?
How are they always getting shots off?
Watch how they do it.
And then when you're on the bench in your own games,
Make sure you're watching.
You're watching the player that's playing your position on your team, because if he'ssecond line or first line, you want that line.
That's healthy competition, but you're gonna push him or her to be even better, and you'regonna get rewarded because you're learning.
(11:43):
But just as important, you're watching the opposing player, watching their tendencies.
And for goalies out there, study, study, study, study the tendencies of the shooters.
Is this guy a shooter?
Is this guy a passer?
Is this guy gonna come in and try and deke?
What are their tendencies?
Right handed coming down the left side or left handed coming down the right side.
Are they going to go to the backhand?
What are they doing?
(12:04):
That's developing that hockey IQ.
Hard work, extremely important, but don't forget about the mental hard work as well.
And then the spiritual hard work.
Spiritual hard work is your attitude, your determination, your willingness to give it allyou got.
To not settle for just good enough.
No, good enough will never be good enough.
I I guess it will if you're content with just
(12:25):
Say you're a JV player and it's good enough.
Well, OK, that's good.
I'm happy you made JV.
I want more for you.
Your parents want more for you.
Your coaches want more for you.
My whole goal with anybody I've ever worked with, whether it be a player, parent,organization, is to help them get to that next level.
Kind of my, if you will, humble, I say this with utmost humility, is my superpower is tosee inside someone's heart and fire.
(12:52):
And I want to bring that out.
Because a lot of times players lack confidence.
A good majority of players don't fail because of lack of skill or talent.
They fail because of lack of confidence, lack of belief in themselves, lack of work ethicor accountability.
A line I use a lot is that $400 stick isn't going to do a player a darn bit of good ifthey got one cent worth of confidence or one cent worth of work ethic either.
(13:16):
Because I mean, know players, I mean, parents for their players hire
spend thousands upon thousands of dollars for on ice and off ice coaches, which isimportant.
I encourage that.
But those thousands of dollars you spend aren't going to do a darn bit of good if theirmindset, attitude, and work ethic aren't worth anything.
(13:37):
They got to have those first in order to push and drive.
And that kind of leads into my book, How to Get More Ice Time, a champion's playbookwinning with integrity on and off the ice.
How do you get more ice time?
That's what every player wants, right?
More ice time, more leadership roles to be put in key game situations.
But the book itself is how do you get more of anything you want in life?
(13:59):
How do you get more success?
How do you score more goals?
How do you get better grades in school?
How do you become more successful in life?
How do you win with integrity on and off the ice?
Well, the concepts are the same.
Respect, work ethic, communication, and leadership skills.
Boom, that's it.
It's universal.
The truth is, and you know this, may know the exact statistics, but less than 0.05 % ofanybody that steps on the ice is gonna play pro.
(14:30):
Now that doesn't mean you give up on your pro dreams.
I want you to play the absolute highest level of hockey possible.
I never made it to the NHL.
It was crushing, but it just wasn't meant to be.
A lot of injuries added up.
I wasn't the most naturally gifted to begin with.
I played at a far higher level than my natural ability.
or height, stature, and size should have allowed.
(14:51):
And I'm sharing those same things with you.
I want you to make that, if JV's your goal, make JV.
If varsity's your goal, varsity.
If you're a goalie and you wanna be a varsity starter, to make that, to make D3, D1, D2,whatever.
Play in the ECHL.
My goal is for you to play at the highest level possible.
(15:12):
But you gotta put in the work.
The mental, spiritual, and physical work.
You gotta do it.
And I gave an example in the last podcast.
Look, a dog.
dog chasing his tail is working extremely hard.
I mean it is, spinning around in circles.
(15:34):
A pant when he's done.
And if dog catches his tail, what's it do?
Drops it and thinks, I know, do that again.
Well at the end of the day, maybe he's caught his tail, maybe he hasn't, but what has hereally accomplished?
He wore himself out, just chasing his tail.
So get out there and work your butt off, yes, but smart.
Don't just skate around like a madman with no intent.
(15:56):
I mean, yeah, you want to grind, especially in the playoffs, you're working hard.
Those grinder lines, dump the puck in, get in on the forecheck, hit the body, hittingthose defensemen hard where they're turning over the puck quicker and quicker because they
didn't want to hit.
Work hard, but have a game plan.
Develop your hockey IQ.
Because I'm telling you, you want those key game situations.
You want late in the game, either.
(16:18):
You're winning by a goal and you got to preserve that lead or you're losing by a goal andyou got to grind it out and try and tie the game up.
But you got to have trust.
The coach has to trust you that when I put them out, put you out there, you're not justgoing to make crazy errors that we all make mistakes.
That's all part of being a human.
something we talked to boys all the time about, look, if you continuously make the sameerror over and over and over and over again, it's no longer an error.
(16:44):
It has now become a choice.
You have chose not
to improve.
You have chose not to think.
You have chose not to develop your hockey IQ.
So now you've made a choice to keep turning the puck over.
And guess what?
Then you make the choice for us that you're to have to sit on a bench.
Can't put somebody out there we can't trust.
(17:04):
So work hard, yes.
But that's one small part of the equation.
I talked about in the last episode that 1%, that 1 % is work ethic, But it's alsodeveloping that mindset.
positive mental attitude, that hockey IQ, developing that grit, resilience, anddetermination.
And how can you do all those things?
Well, I talked about reading continuously to plant the right seeds in your mental garden.
(17:28):
That's what develops your confidence and your belief in yourself.
You you think about this.
What you plant in any garden is what's gonna grow.
Well, your mind is the most fertile garden on the planet.
You plant negativity, limiting beliefs, self-doubt.
I always fail.
I always screw up.
I'm not good enough.
I'm not big enough.
I'm not tall enough.
(17:49):
Oh, I guess I'm just a loser.
Well, you plant that your subconscious mind is non biased in any way, or form.
You plant that in there.
That's what you're going to believe.
And guess what?
That's how you're going to perform.
And people say, well, I don't want to lie to myself.
I'm not saying lie.
You're now predicting the future.
I am going to be the best I can be.
(18:09):
I am going to win this puck battle.
I am going to get
from the second line to the first line.
I am gonna earn leadership positions.
I am gonna earn game time minutes.
You're telling yourself, now you gotta go do the work.
I like to say your attitude is the fuel that fuels the effort, intensity, drive,determination, and resilience to get what you want.
(18:29):
And what do you want?
You want ice time.
I mean, that's the way we, it's the reason we play the game, right?
Ice time, in order to be that leader, in order to be that hero.
And of course hockey, it's not me, it's not I, it's always we.
We as a team.
And if you screw up, hey, take accountability.
Hockey is why I love it so much.
(18:50):
It's one of the only sports, I think it's the only sport in the world whereaccountability, if you're a true champion, is all on you.
And then you help the team get better.
It's not like, oh, the team did this and the team should have played better.
No, no, no.
I should have played better.
I should have stepped up.
I should have won more face-offs.
(19:10):
I should have won more puck battles.
I should have had a better attitude going in.
I should have prepared properly during practice or before games.
I should have got more sleep the night before.
should have ate, my nutrition should have been better.
I shouldn't have ate that greasy food that upset my stomach.
I should have done this better in order to help the team perform better.
And when you win, wasn't I that won, we won as a team.
(19:34):
We played together as a solid five man unit in all three zones.
We won the face-off.
We won the puck battles.
We did what we need to do to clear the puck out.
We did what we need to do in the neutral zone to keep them from uh breaking in on odd manrushes.
We did what we need to do in the offensive zone, holding the puck in.
We did what we need to do in our defensive zone by protecting and helping the goalie,clearing rebounds, not leaving anything out front.
(20:00):
We as a team.
You want ice time?
You want leadership roles?
There it is.
That's a secret recipe right there.
Now that really a secret?
Well, for some it might be.
But no, that's what makes hockey so wonderful.
And of course, right now, NHL playoffs, and here's the thing, seven hard fought games, ifit goes to seven games at the playoffs, these guys beat the daylights out of each other.
(20:24):
They're out there, well, each shift, giving it absolutely everything they've got.
And if they're not, they're not gonna get any ice time, and they're not gonna get dressedfor the next uh game, that's for sure.
So you can learn a lot from that.
But after, if it's a seven game series, seven hard fought games, what do they do?
They shake hands at the end.
The only sport in the world.
(20:45):
I see that and I still to this day get goosebumps.
Why?
That's the integrity of the game.
That's what makes hockey the greatest game in the world.
And the fact that you're playing it or you're a parent or a coach, an organizationalleader, listening that you're a part of this, man, we got a golden opportunity to help
raise the next generation of leaders.
Can we do it?
Yeah.
(21:05):
Are we going to do it?
I hope so.
So as I mentioned, I know most players don't listen to podcasts.
I encourage you to share this with them.
And if you found something valuable in this, please share that.
Now on YouTube, like, subscribe, ring that bell so you're notified of every new episode.
Like said, this is episode number 398, and I've got, I think we're closing in over 1,000videos on YouTube as well with shorts and everything else.
(21:27):
And it's also available, this podcast, across all podcast platforms so you can listen onyour favorite podcast platform as well.
Links to all that in the description box.
My program for organizations,
How to get more ice time?
It's a, I call it the ultimate leadership and accountability program.
What I do is I work with the teams, parents, players, and coaches.
(21:50):
We go through the workbook, we have four Zoom calls, and we go through, get everybody onthe same page to hold everyone accountable.
The parents, players, coaches, and organizational leaders, you're all on the same page,committed toward the same goal.
We review your code of conduct, we review parent behavior, we review respect, discipline,work ethic.
communication and leadership skills.
(22:11):
Why?
Because as I said before, most teams do not fail because of lack of talent.
They fail because of parent drama, lack of accountability, poor work ethic, and poorcommunication.
All that's solved.
Talk to me, we'll talk about it.
And what you can do is you can build it into the league fees.
So it's all right there.
And if you're an individual team that would just like me to come and we can do this, wecan talk about that as well.
(22:34):
The links are in the description box or you can just go to our website,warriorconfidence.com.
just read in our website, brand new actually.
So we got two sections, one for the players and parents, one for the coaches andorganizational leaders.
And parents, I've got something for you as well, not only the book, and I'm blessed ifyou're here in Florida, my book is now available in three different pro shops at the
(22:57):
Wesley Chapel location at Ringside Sports and at Brandon at TGH, it's where the Tampa BayLightning practice, and then it's also available at Elton's Ice Rink as well.
So I'm very blessed and.
If you own a pro shop and you want to carry my books, autographed copies, you can sellthem in the pro shop.
well, it's a great, not only it's a win-win for all of us, right?
(23:18):
The players and parents win because they get the book, you win because you make prettygood on the books.
And then I'm able to get the message out as well.
And we've got our Quick Start Guidebook, which is part of our, we've got a masterclassvideo for players.
It's 45 minute Q &A.
It's only nine bucks, The link's in the description box.
check out the master class, answers all the questions, gives you little tips behind thescenes, and then a little order bump when you check out with the master class.
(23:44):
You can buy the workbook, the program, the audible version, and all those good things tohelp get your athlete to the next level.
Good, good?
All right, so hey, here's the question.
Are you gonna do it?
Are you gonna help your athlete develop their hockey IQ?
Are they gonna watch playoff hockey?
If you are, give me a thumbs up.
And if you're not, well, I've done what I can do, right?
(24:06):
Also, I love hearing your comments and feedback.
Let me know what you think about the whole podcast in general, or if you've got somequestions you'd like to ask here.
Now, I know I come across to my right hooker's reality and left uppercut of truth, but I'ma human, I'm learning and growing as well.
So if you've got something you wanna share with me, please bring it on.
ah Doesn't mean we're gonna always agree on everything, but I'm a open book here, man.
(24:29):
I'm willing to learn, I'm willing to grow, I'm willing to share what I've got, andhopefully you're willing to do the same.
So drop those in the comments for me.
Alright everybody, well thank you so very much for tuning in.
I sincerely appreciate it.
If you like what you heard, please, we love those five star reviews on the podcast apps.
And then like, subscribe, ring that bell.
And like I said, share it with someone that you know you could find value.
And check out our books and programs.
(24:51):
WarriorConfidence.com and all the links are in the description box.
I love you.
God loves you.
Please, share that love.
Share your greatness with the world.
Continue to empower your athlete to believe in themselves.
To be their very best.
To become the hero, leader and champion.
they were born to be.
All right, until we talk again, you get out there and do your best and I promise you'll beyour very best.
(25:13):
God bless you, God bless your loved ones.
Can't wait to read your comments.
Can't wait to chat with you again real soon.
Have a blessed day.
Talk to you soon.
Bye bye.
All right, let's get real here.
You've heard me say countless times, hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard.
That's not my quote.
I borrowed that from someone.
But I get feedback all the time saying, yeah, that hard work, you got to work hard, yougot to work hard, but you got to have some talent.
You got to have some kind of knowledge, some type of hockey IQ.
And I agree, 1,000%.
(00:34):
Because oftentimes, athletes, and I've run into them all the time, which is reallyheartwarming, when they are working their butt off, man, they are given absolutely
everything they've got.
But without having that hockey IQ, without understanding the game, I still don't trustthose athletes to put them in key game situations.
So that might be where your athlete is.
They're working extremely hard.
(00:55):
They're giving it all they've got, but they're still not getting the ice time.
Why?
Well, we're gonna talk about that today.
So make sure you tune in.
(01:16):
Greetings, champions.
Master Coach Rich Grogan here.
Hope you're having a fantastic day.
Thank you so very much for joining me today on the Warrior Confidence Hockey Podcast,which is the ultimate coaching playbook for helping your athletes stand out, get noticed,
gain the ice time, the respect, the leadership roles that they desire, that they crave,that they want the most.
(01:37):
And of course, this podcast is for the hockey community.
It's for players, parents, coaches, organizational leaders.
And I realize that most players
Don't listen to podcasts.
I encourage you to share this with them because a lot of times it's a similar, if not thesame message as you're saying, but it's coming from a different voice.
an organizational leaders, Hey, we'll talk about more as we move through here, but I'vegot all kinds of programs for your organization to help your teams excel and reach that
(02:04):
next level.
Cause the truth of the matter is most teams and organizations don't fail from lack ofskill or talent.
They fail from parent drama, lack of accountability, lack of work ethic, lack ofdiscipline.
and poor communication skills on all sides.
So I can definitely help you with that.
Well, today we're talking about this is episode number 398.
(02:24):
You close it in on 400 baby.
And it's why hustle isn't enough.
What coaches are really looking for.
Well, right now, we talked about it last time.
The NHL playoffs are going on the best time of the year.
NHL playoffs, baby.
Yes.
Why?
The intensity is amplified tenfold.
The grit, the resilience, the determination, the heart, the passion, the work ethic.
(02:48):
I like to say the heart of a warrior, mindset of a champion, attitude of excellence, andwork ethic of an underdog are all on full display.
Because all the teams have made it to the dance, right?
We've made it to the playoffs.
Yes.
Well, what's it going to take to get to that next level?
What's it going to take to get to the second round, then the third round, and then playingfor the Stanley Cup?
(03:09):
What's it going to take?
Well, you're athlete.
What's it going to take for them?
to maybe make that next rec select team, make that travel team, make that high schoolteam, maybe JV or varsity, or get those leadership roles, get those key game minutes.
What's it gonna take?
Well, hard work, yes.
And I said it before, and I'll keep saying it, hard work beats talent when talent doesn'twork hard.
(03:32):
That is a key, key, key component.
But just simply working hard, skating around like a maniac, but not reading the play, notanticipating a play, not knowing what to do with a puck when you get it.
Well, working hard is half the battle.
The hockey IQ is that second half that needs to be applied in order to gain that trust.
Because, yeah, I'm to put hard workers out there, but I also, especially in key gamesituations, we've got to put players out there we can trust.
(03:59):
Players that aren't just going to turn the puck over.
Players that aren't just going to randomly ice the puck or uh turn the puck over in theneutral zone or turn the puck in the offensive zone or turn the puck over the worst at
that gray area.
five foot inside and outside the blue line.
Yeah, I call that the danger zone.
Matter of fact, a lot of times I get the whiteboard out.
(04:20):
What's this area?
Danger zone.
Do not turn the puck over here.
And I'm sure you've shared it with your athlete and with your players all the time on whynot to do it is because the transition game, you got all you guys moving forward, you turn
the puck over inside or outside the blue line, the defensive team's coming out.
They got ahead of steam.
Dump that puck in deep, go to work.
(04:43):
Like I talked about the hockey IQ and my homework assignment that I give players all thetime and please feel free and I'm sure most of parents and coaches already do this is to
watch hockey games.
And right now, playoff hockey is the best time because one small mistake, one littleturnover pucks in the back of your net or you miss an opportunity because you weren't
(05:04):
ready for it.
You turned your back to the play instead of pursuing the play.
One small mistake could be the difference but then I only win in a game.
winning the round, advancing to the next round, or winning or losing the Stanley Cup.
Now I know, players are listening right now, your whole goal is just to make that nextcut, which is my goal with every player, every parent, every coach, every organization I
(05:27):
work with, is to help them excel to that next level.
They've got to do the work.
And the physical work, working out in the gym, working out on the ice, off ice, all thelittle things we talk about on every single episode, like the last episode.
episode 397, I talked about that 1%.
And I talked about that compound effect of that 1%.
And I borrowed part of a book from Jeff Olson called The Slight Edge.
(05:52):
The compound interest of one penny doubled every single day what that turns into.
Now, if you haven't listened to that episode, when you're done here, make sure you listento that episode and share.
And of course, like, subscribe, ring the bell, all those good things to be a part andnever miss an episode.
But that 1%, talking about
every day try and do 1 % more than you did the day before.
(06:14):
So today, you're going to be 1 % better than you were yesterday.
Tomorrow, you're going to be 1 % better than you were the day before.
Today, each day, 1 % more, 1 % more, 1 % more.
I like to talk about it's like a train gathering up speed, getting out of the tournament,chug it, chug it, chug it, chug it.
It takes a little bit to get that train going.
But once that thing is going, man, that freight train, woo, it becomes almost unstoppable.
(06:39):
And depends on the speed, but a train can take anywhere from a mile, two to three,sometimes four to five miles to slow down and stop because that's so much momentum going.
Well, that's that power of, I'd say that 1%.
Well, we talk about work ethic, extremely important.
But if there's no hockey IQ to go along with that, you just got players running around ahaphazard, turning the puck over.
(07:02):
That's not a formula for success.
I tell you, growing up, I was always one of the smaller guys on the
every team I played on.
You've heard this story before.
Work ethic was my key.
I grew up poor on a farm.
So I'm literally hand milking a cow at nine, 10 years old, baling hay, shoveling horsepoo, breaking ice in the wintertime so the horses and cows and other farm animals could
(07:25):
have water, you know, using a big old sledgehammer to break the ice in the water troughthere, carrying buckets of water when the hose was froze.
So work ethic was never a problem.
And I had a coach young tell me, look, there was going be a small guy.
And to be honest, you don't have the most athletic ability or talent.
You got some, but you're to have to stand out with work ethic.
(07:48):
So all I did was skate my butt off.
But didn't have a whole lot of hockey IQ when I was younger.
I didn't even heard of that word before.
And then I another coach come along and said, look, hockey IQ is anticipating what you'regoing to do when you get to the puck.
So that means when you're working hard, this same message I shared in the locker room theother day is skate hard to the puck.
But before you get to the puck,
You're glancing over your shoulder to know if somebody's bearing down on you to protectyourself, get crushed in the boards, to round out the boards.
(08:15):
Also, you're looking for options.
You're looking, when I get to the puck, what am I going to do?
Because if you wait till you get the puck to look around at the speed of the game, andespecially you're watching the NHL and players, talking to you, make sure you're watching.
They're going to look over their shoulder, do a head check before they go to the puck.
One, to see if someone's bearing down, to see how much time they have to protectthemselves.
(08:36):
Like I said, to round the boards out, but it's also to see where are going with a puck?
Are they going down low?
Are they going back up to the point?
Where's my breakout?
Where are my options?
Therefore, you know, when you get to the puck, because sometimes you'll see players like,how the heck did he see him?
How do you make that pass?
Well, it's because he looked over shoulder, did a head check before he got to the puck.
So work hard to get to the puck.
Second thing, go.
(08:58):
And this is so simple, but it was something when I said when I was younger, I just didn'tget and a lot of players just don't get it.
That's why we remind them go to where the puck's going to be.
So if the puck's being rimmed around the boards, don't try and chase the puck.
Go to where it's at.
Go to where it's going.
It makes sense.
And another thing, eh all the goals and I've been around the game, I've been blessed for,well, I guess 50 years now.
(09:22):
90, 95 % of every goal I ever scored was right in front of the net.
Getting in the dirty areas, getting the tar beat out of me by big tall defensemen, twicemy size.
But having the grit, the resilience, the work ethic, the determination that you can't beatme, this is my puck, I'm burying this puck.
And of course I didn't score every single time I touched the puck, that's unrealistic.
But 99.5 % of my goals were right there in front of the net, doing the hard work.
(09:46):
Why?
That's where the puck, that's where the intention's going, right?
The puck is going to the net.
You gotta put the puck on net in order to score, we'll go to where the puck's at, right?
Yeah, crashing hard to the net.
And then being smart, obviously, and finding that open ice.
That's that hockey IQ.
And of course, never stagnate.
You're always moving, always trying to find that soft spot, that open ice.
(10:08):
And then on the defensive side, you're closing that ice.
You're not giving the opposing team any room to breathe, any room to move.
You're closing it off.
But once again, hockey IQ, and this is something we just shared, and that's where I getall the scottish stuff I share with the players all the time.
If they're in the corner or behind the net, they're not going to score from back there.
(10:32):
Cut off their options.
Keep them trapped back there.
They can back there all day long if they want.
Now of course, if you're losing, you gotta be a little more aggressive in order to get thepuck because they're gonna eat the clock.
But once again, game situations, knowing the score, knowing the situation, knowing whatline's out there.
And some of you might be saying, holy cow, that's a lot for a teenage athlete.
(10:55):
Well, is it?
That 1%, that little extra developing that hockey IQ.
You can get that.
by simply watching, observing playoff hockey.
How fast that game is, watching the little things, watching your player out there, seeingwhat they're doing.
And I know the camera follows the puck, so sometimes it's hard to see behind the play ifyou're watching on TV, but watch, how does that player get back so fast?
(11:20):
How are they there?
How are they always in the right spot?
How are they always getting shots off?
Watch how they do it.
And then when you're on the bench in your own games,
Make sure you're watching.
You're watching the player that's playing your position on your team, because if he'ssecond line or first line, you want that line.
That's healthy competition, but you're gonna push him or her to be even better, and you'regonna get rewarded because you're learning.
(11:43):
But just as important, you're watching the opposing player, watching their tendencies.
And for goalies out there, study, study, study, study the tendencies of the shooters.
Is this guy a shooter?
Is this guy a passer?
Is this guy gonna come in and try and deke?
What are their tendencies?
Right handed coming down the left side or left handed coming down the right side.
Are they going to go to the backhand?
What are they doing?
(12:04):
That's developing that hockey IQ.
Hard work, extremely important, but don't forget about the mental hard work as well.
And then the spiritual hard work.
Spiritual hard work is your attitude, your determination, your willingness to give it allyou got.
To not settle for just good enough.
No, good enough will never be good enough.
I I guess it will if you're content with just
(12:25):
Say you're a JV player and it's good enough.
Well, OK, that's good.
I'm happy you made JV.
I want more for you.
Your parents want more for you.
Your coaches want more for you.
My whole goal with anybody I've ever worked with, whether it be a player, parent,organization, is to help them get to that next level.
Kind of my, if you will, humble, I say this with utmost humility, is my superpower is tosee inside someone's heart and fire.
(12:52):
And I want to bring that out.
Because a lot of times players lack confidence.
A good majority of players don't fail because of lack of skill or talent.
They fail because of lack of confidence, lack of belief in themselves, lack of work ethicor accountability.
A line I use a lot is that $400 stick isn't going to do a player a darn bit of good ifthey got one cent worth of confidence or one cent worth of work ethic either.
(13:16):
Because I mean, know players, I mean, parents for their players hire
spend thousands upon thousands of dollars for on ice and off ice coaches, which isimportant.
I encourage that.
But those thousands of dollars you spend aren't going to do a darn bit of good if theirmindset, attitude, and work ethic aren't worth anything.
(13:37):
They got to have those first in order to push and drive.
And that kind of leads into my book, How to Get More Ice Time, a champion's playbookwinning with integrity on and off the ice.
How do you get more ice time?
That's what every player wants, right?
More ice time, more leadership roles to be put in key game situations.
But the book itself is how do you get more of anything you want in life?
(13:59):
How do you get more success?
How do you score more goals?
How do you get better grades in school?
How do you become more successful in life?
How do you win with integrity on and off the ice?
Well, the concepts are the same.
Respect, work ethic, communication, and leadership skills.
Boom, that's it.
It's universal.
The truth is, and you know this, may know the exact statistics, but less than 0.05 % ofanybody that steps on the ice is gonna play pro.
(14:30):
Now that doesn't mean you give up on your pro dreams.
I want you to play the absolute highest level of hockey possible.
I never made it to the NHL.
It was crushing, but it just wasn't meant to be.
A lot of injuries added up.
I wasn't the most naturally gifted to begin with.
I played at a far higher level than my natural ability.
or height, stature, and size should have allowed.
(14:51):
And I'm sharing those same things with you.
I want you to make that, if JV's your goal, make JV.
If varsity's your goal, varsity.
If you're a goalie and you wanna be a varsity starter, to make that, to make D3, D1, D2,whatever.
Play in the ECHL.
My goal is for you to play at the highest level possible.
(15:12):
But you gotta put in the work.
The mental, spiritual, and physical work.
You gotta do it.
And I gave an example in the last podcast.
Look, a dog.
dog chasing his tail is working extremely hard.
I mean it is, spinning around in circles.
(15:34):
A pant when he's done.
And if dog catches his tail, what's it do?
Drops it and thinks, I know, do that again.
Well at the end of the day, maybe he's caught his tail, maybe he hasn't, but what has hereally accomplished?
He wore himself out, just chasing his tail.
So get out there and work your butt off, yes, but smart.
Don't just skate around like a madman with no intent.
(15:56):
I mean, yeah, you want to grind, especially in the playoffs, you're working hard.
Those grinder lines, dump the puck in, get in on the forecheck, hit the body, hittingthose defensemen hard where they're turning over the puck quicker and quicker because they
didn't want to hit.
Work hard, but have a game plan.
Develop your hockey IQ.
Because I'm telling you, you want those key game situations.
You want late in the game, either.
(16:18):
You're winning by a goal and you got to preserve that lead or you're losing by a goal andyou got to grind it out and try and tie the game up.
But you got to have trust.
The coach has to trust you that when I put them out, put you out there, you're not justgoing to make crazy errors that we all make mistakes.
That's all part of being a human.
something we talked to boys all the time about, look, if you continuously make the sameerror over and over and over and over again, it's no longer an error.
(16:44):
It has now become a choice.
You have chose not
to improve.
You have chose not to think.
You have chose not to develop your hockey IQ.
So now you've made a choice to keep turning the puck over.
And guess what?
Then you make the choice for us that you're to have to sit on a bench.
Can't put somebody out there we can't trust.
(17:04):
So work hard, yes.
But that's one small part of the equation.
I talked about in the last episode that 1%, that 1 % is work ethic, But it's alsodeveloping that mindset.
positive mental attitude, that hockey IQ, developing that grit, resilience, anddetermination.
And how can you do all those things?
Well, I talked about reading continuously to plant the right seeds in your mental garden.
(17:28):
That's what develops your confidence and your belief in yourself.
You you think about this.
What you plant in any garden is what's gonna grow.
Well, your mind is the most fertile garden on the planet.
You plant negativity, limiting beliefs, self-doubt.
I always fail.
I always screw up.
I'm not good enough.
I'm not big enough.
I'm not tall enough.
(17:49):
Oh, I guess I'm just a loser.
Well, you plant that your subconscious mind is non biased in any way, or form.
You plant that in there.
That's what you're going to believe.
And guess what?
That's how you're going to perform.
And people say, well, I don't want to lie to myself.
I'm not saying lie.
You're now predicting the future.
I am going to be the best I can be.
(18:09):
I am going to win this puck battle.
I am going to get
from the second line to the first line.
I am gonna earn leadership positions.
I am gonna earn game time minutes.
You're telling yourself, now you gotta go do the work.
I like to say your attitude is the fuel that fuels the effort, intensity, drive,determination, and resilience to get what you want.
(18:29):
And what do you want?
You want ice time.
I mean, that's the way we, it's the reason we play the game, right?
Ice time, in order to be that leader, in order to be that hero.
And of course hockey, it's not me, it's not I, it's always we.
We as a team.
And if you screw up, hey, take accountability.
Hockey is why I love it so much.
(18:50):
It's one of the only sports, I think it's the only sport in the world whereaccountability, if you're a true champion, is all on you.
And then you help the team get better.
It's not like, oh, the team did this and the team should have played better.
No, no, no.
I should have played better.
I should have stepped up.
I should have won more face-offs.
(19:10):
I should have won more puck battles.
I should have had a better attitude going in.
I should have prepared properly during practice or before games.
I should have got more sleep the night before.
should have ate, my nutrition should have been better.
I shouldn't have ate that greasy food that upset my stomach.
I should have done this better in order to help the team perform better.
And when you win, wasn't I that won, we won as a team.
(19:34):
We played together as a solid five man unit in all three zones.
We won the face-off.
We won the puck battles.
We did what we need to do to clear the puck out.
We did what we need to do in the neutral zone to keep them from uh breaking in on odd manrushes.
We did what we need to do in the offensive zone, holding the puck in.
We did what we need to do in our defensive zone by protecting and helping the goalie,clearing rebounds, not leaving anything out front.
(20:00):
We as a team.
You want ice time?
You want leadership roles?
There it is.
That's a secret recipe right there.
Now that really a secret?
Well, for some it might be.
But no, that's what makes hockey so wonderful.
And of course, right now, NHL playoffs, and here's the thing, seven hard fought games, ifit goes to seven games at the playoffs, these guys beat the daylights out of each other.
(20:24):
They're out there, well, each shift, giving it absolutely everything they've got.
And if they're not, they're not gonna get any ice time, and they're not gonna get dressedfor the next uh game, that's for sure.
So you can learn a lot from that.
But after, if it's a seven game series, seven hard fought games, what do they do?
They shake hands at the end.
The only sport in the world.
(20:45):
I see that and I still to this day get goosebumps.
Why?
That's the integrity of the game.
That's what makes hockey the greatest game in the world.
And the fact that you're playing it or you're a parent or a coach, an organizationalleader, listening that you're a part of this, man, we got a golden opportunity to help
raise the next generation of leaders.
Can we do it?
Yeah.
(21:05):
Are we going to do it?
I hope so.
So as I mentioned, I know most players don't listen to podcasts.
I encourage you to share this with them.
And if you found something valuable in this, please share that.
Now on YouTube, like, subscribe, ring that bell so you're notified of every new episode.
Like said, this is episode number 398, and I've got, I think we're closing in over 1,000videos on YouTube as well with shorts and everything else.
(21:27):
And it's also available, this podcast, across all podcast platforms so you can listen onyour favorite podcast platform as well.
Links to all that in the description box.
My program for organizations,
How to get more ice time?
It's a, I call it the ultimate leadership and accountability program.
What I do is I work with the teams, parents, players, and coaches.
(21:50):
We go through the workbook, we have four Zoom calls, and we go through, get everybody onthe same page to hold everyone accountable.
The parents, players, coaches, and organizational leaders, you're all on the same page,committed toward the same goal.
We review your code of conduct, we review parent behavior, we review respect, discipline,work ethic.
communication and leadership skills.
(22:11):
Why?
Because as I said before, most teams do not fail because of lack of talent.
They fail because of parent drama, lack of accountability, poor work ethic, and poorcommunication.
All that's solved.
Talk to me, we'll talk about it.
And what you can do is you can build it into the league fees.
So it's all right there.
And if you're an individual team that would just like me to come and we can do this, wecan talk about that as well.
(22:34):
The links are in the description box or you can just go to our website,warriorconfidence.com.
just read in our website, brand new actually.
So we got two sections, one for the players and parents, one for the coaches andorganizational leaders.
And parents, I've got something for you as well, not only the book, and I'm blessed ifyou're here in Florida, my book is now available in three different pro shops at the
(22:57):
Wesley Chapel location at Ringside Sports and at Brandon at TGH, it's where the Tampa BayLightning practice, and then it's also available at Elton's Ice Rink as well.
So I'm very blessed and.
If you own a pro shop and you want to carry my books, autographed copies, you can sellthem in the pro shop.
well, it's a great, not only it's a win-win for all of us, right?
(23:18):
The players and parents win because they get the book, you win because you make prettygood on the books.
And then I'm able to get the message out as well.
And we've got our Quick Start Guidebook, which is part of our, we've got a masterclassvideo for players.
It's 45 minute Q &A.
It's only nine bucks, The link's in the description box.
check out the master class, answers all the questions, gives you little tips behind thescenes, and then a little order bump when you check out with the master class.
(23:44):
You can buy the workbook, the program, the audible version, and all those good things tohelp get your athlete to the next level.
Good, good?
All right, so hey, here's the question.
Are you gonna do it?
Are you gonna help your athlete develop their hockey IQ?
Are they gonna watch playoff hockey?
If you are, give me a thumbs up.
And if you're not, well, I've done what I can do, right?
(24:06):
Also, I love hearing your comments and feedback.
Let me know what you think about the whole podcast in general, or if you've got somequestions you'd like to ask here.
Now, I know I come across to my right hooker's reality and left uppercut of truth, but I'ma human, I'm learning and growing as well.
So if you've got something you wanna share with me, please bring it on.
ah Doesn't mean we're gonna always agree on everything, but I'm a open book here, man.
(24:29):
I'm willing to learn, I'm willing to grow, I'm willing to share what I've got, andhopefully you're willing to do the same.
So drop those in the comments for me.
Alright everybody, well thank you so very much for tuning in.
I sincerely appreciate it.
If you like what you heard, please, we love those five star reviews on the podcast apps.
And then like, subscribe, ring that bell.
And like I said, share it with someone that you know you could find value.
And check out our books and programs.
(24:51):
WarriorConfidence.com and all the links are in the description box.
I love you.
God loves you.
Please, share that love.
Share your greatness with the world.
Continue to empower your athlete to believe in themselves.
To be their very best.
To become the hero, leader and champion.
they were born to be.
All right, until we talk again, you get out there and do your best and I promise you'll beyour very best.
(25:13):
God bless you, God bless your loved ones.
Can't wait to read your comments.
Can't wait to chat with you again real soon.
Have a blessed day.
Talk to you soon.
Bye bye.
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Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
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If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.