Parent Playbook

To have a successful hockey program, there must be understanding and cooperation among parents, players, and coaches. The growth your child experiences—both on and off the ice—depends on this shared commitment.

You’ve already done so much to raise your child. You’ve created the environment in which they’re learning, competing, and developing. Your player is shaped by your values, the structure you’ve provided, and the example you’ve set. But in youth sports—especially one as fast-paced and emotional as hockey—it’s natural for parents to lose a bit of perspective when it comes to their child’s development and performance.

These guidelines are designed to help keep your player’s long-term growth in focus, support a positive hockey experience, and ensure your child has the opportunity to reach their full potential as both an athlete and a teammate.

We want your player to build a strong, comfortable relationship with their coaches as early as possible. This connection between coach and player is essential for growth, confidence, and progress on the ice. When parents step in with their own instructions about how their child should skate, play, or train, it can create confusion for the player and make it difficult for the coach to do their job effectively.

Kids need to know exactly who to listen to during practices and games.

If you ever have a question, concern, or issue, please reach out to your child’s head coach first. Most things can be resolved quickly with a simple conversation.

If your concern is related to something that happened during a game, we ask that you follow the 24-hour rule. Give yourself a full day to cool down, gain perspective, and decide whether the situation still needs to be addressed. If, after 24 hours, you still feel the issue requires attention, please reach out to your head coach to discuss it.

The coach’s job is to teach, guide, motivate, and offer constructive feedback on your player’s performance. Your role as a parent is just as important — providing the love, support, and encouragement that help your child stay engaged, work hard in practice, and build the confidence they need to compete well. When coaches coach and parents support, players thrive.

Even the strongest hockey players will have games where things just don’t click — shifts feel off, decisions are slower, or the effort doesn’t match their usual level. These ups and downs are a completely normal part of development. Over the course of a season, skills and confidence should grow, but progress isn’t always visible on the scoreboard.

Sometimes your player is trying out a new skating technique, adjusting their stride, working on edge control, changing the way they hold their stick, or learning a new position. Improvement often looks messy before it looks better.

And sometimes, it has nothing to do with hockey at all. Maybe your child stepped on the ice tired after a long day of school, didn’t sleep well the night before, didn’t fuel properly, or just had an off day mentally or emotionally. Kids are still learning how to manage all of that.

Please be supportive during these “off” games. They’re part of the process — and often the moments when players learn the most.