🏒 Just wrapped up mid-season player reviews for my son’s 12U hockey team.

These meetings aren’t about stats, ice time, or labeling kids as “good” or “bad.”

They exist for one reason: development through clarity.


Player reviews give young athletes something they rarely get...... honest feedback, clear expectations, and a roadmap for improvement. They create alignment between what a player thinks they’re doing and what coaches are actually seeing. That alignment matters.

What’s just as important is having parents in the room.

At this age, development doesn’t happen in isolation. When players and parents hear the same message together, it removes confusion, prevents mixed signals, and reinforces accountability at home and at the rink.

It shifts the conversation from “Why am I not playing more?” to “What do I need to work on?”

These meetings also model something bigger than hockey:
✅ How to receive feedback
✅ How to ask questions
✅ How to take ownership of growth

That’s a skill set that extends far beyond the rink.

Player reviews take time. They require preparation, uncomfortable conversations, and follow-up. But if we’re serious about development—of athletes and people—this is work worth doing.

Development doesn’t happen by accident.

It happens through communication, accountability, and involvement.