POSITIVE HOCKEY EXPERIENCE

4 things that should be part of every kid’s hockey experience

Because of my love of the game, I am the dedicated hockey guy at Active for Life. I often write about the “new normal” - a perspective on how to improve kids’ hockey experience. Over the last few years, the game has improved in all aspects, but there’s still a lot of work to be done. However, recently, I actually lived this new normal. And it was an awesome experience. Read more >

Hockey parents can get ready for the season with this conditioning camp

If you are a hockey parent like me, your kid is getting ready for “conditioning camp”. A sure sign hockey season is around the corner, these programs give kids a chance to review hockey fundamentals and set themselves up for a successful season. As hockey parents, I suggest we engage in our own “conditioning camp”. For me, it’s about reviewing three fundamentals that help me be a supportive and positive parent inside and outside the rink. Read more >

What to do when a case of Parent Peer Pressure Strikes

There’s a dreadful condition that affects parents and strikes us when we least expect it. It’s not transmitted through handshakes or sneezes like the common cold, but in the sneakiest way imaginable: through shared (and often unsolicited) opinions. It’s called Parent Peer Pressure, or PPP. You, or someone you know, is likely suffering from it as we speak. Here’s how PPP works: You’re catching up with a friend over coffee when you innocently say, “Mary is really enjoying her break from ballet right now".

“A break?” replies your friend. “Are you sure? We put our little Simone in a specialized camp over the summer and she’s improved sooooo much;” And there it is: You are the victim of a sudden attack of PPP. Read more >

Campaign uses humour to put an end to early specialization

Meet the Group - Full Version by Get More From Sport Nova Scotia

Unfortunately, when it comes to sports so much of what parents are hearing about what’s best for their kids is simply wrong. Read more >

Parents screaming in the stands? Here’s what you can do.

The Respect in Sport Parent program empowers parent bystanders to take appropriate action to reduce abuse from the stands. Respect in Sport e-learning programs have educated thousands of coaches and parents across Canada in correct behaviors at the rink and the sports field. Read more >

Six things - and Six words - to say to your kids

If you’d like your kids to stay active in soccer, or dance, or figure skating, or any sport or activity, pay attention to the things you say to them. Read more >

The Ride Home by True Sport pur

70% of kids quit sports before high school. How we talk to our kids about sports is how we keep our kids in sports.

Does your child want to give up? Cultivate a growth mindset

When my youngest daughter was 10-years-old, she decided to start learning piano. Like all three of my children, she started at home by herself with a little coaching from me. One day, after watching her older sister play and sing a Disney song that they both loved, she sat down at the piano after her sister had gone out with a friend. One note at a time, she began to pick her way through the sheet music. Read more >