By Walter Aguilar  Mindset Coach

“Sometimes the most important shift you take is the one where you slow down and reset.”

For teen hockey players, the season is a constant push. Early mornings, late nights, school stress, pressure to perform, and the emotional weight of every shift. Parents feel it too, often carrying the emotional load for their kids. The holidays offer something rare. A pause. A moment to breathe, regroup, and reset the energy that drives performance.

When a young athlete gets time off, their body rests, but their mind often keeps grinding. The fear of falling behind. The frustration from mistakes. The pressure to impress scouts or coaches. What they need most during this window is not more training. They need space, connection, and a reset of their mental and emotional rhythms.

Below are three areas that truly matter during the holidays and why every hockey parent should take them seriously.

Relax

Rest is one of the most underrated performance tools. Teen athletes run on adrenaline for months. The nervous system needs time to settle so confidence, decision-making, and feel for the game can rebuild.

Practical Steps:
• Protect sleep and slow mornings. Let their system reset naturally.
• Schedule quiet time every day without screens. Stillness calms the mind.
• Keep the calendar light. A simple break can restore the energy they lost all fall.

Connect

Parents often talk to their kids about hockey, not life. Teenagers rarely initiate deeper conversations, but they crave connection more than they admit. The holidays are a perfect space to meet them at a heart level.

Practical Steps:
• Share one slow meal each day with phones put away.
• Ask simple questions that open the door to real conversation. Examples: “What has been on your mind?” or “What did you enjoy most this year.”
• Do one fun activity unrelated to hockey. Remind them they are valued as a person, not just a player.

Reset

A hockey season creates mental clutter. Frustration, self-doubt, heavy expectations, and future thinking can drain a player. The holidays allow them to reset who they want to be going into the second half.

Practical Steps:
• Reflect together on lessons learned instead of mistakes made.
• Encourage a focus on presence rather than outcomes.
• Help them set one intention for January. Intentions shape behavior, and behavior shapes performance.

The Gift They Really Need

When parents bring calm instead of pressure, connection instead of critique, and presence instead of judgment, their young players step back into the game lighter and more confident. The holidays are not just time off. They are a chance to restore the foundation your kid stands on.

Relax. Connect. Reset.
It is the most valuable gift you can give your hockey player this season.