Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1546359
Lessons To Help You Navigate A New School Year And Hockey Season With Confidence And Determination Sessi on Sessi on Class Class is in is in Sessi on is in Class t is that time of year again where we trade in our beach bags for backpacks and warm summer nights for chilly rink-side mornings. While a fresh start can mean exciting new opportunities and experiences, it can also be intimidating. As we move up a level to harder subjects in the classroom and tougher competition on the ice, we are bound to face some obstacles and challenges along the way. Here are a few lessons to help you navigate this school year and hockey season with confidence and determination. I Be Be Present Present LESSON ONE: PHOTOS BY Getty Images; USA Hockey Archive; Laura Guldner on Unsplash; Bigstock by Julia Allain As simple as it sounds, it can be hard to keep yourself mentally in the moment. At the start of a new school year and season, we often jump ahead and imagine all the things we hope to accomplish and the moments we are excited to experience. However, that ability to time travel to the future in our minds can have a significant impact on our present. Keeping yourself grounded in the moment will help you successful- ly navigate the steps necessary to reach those goals in the future. Kyle Wallack, associate head coach of the Yale University men's hockey team, advises players to be where their feet are this year. "Focus on the task in front of you, whether it's class, practice, or time with your teammates," Wallack said. "The players who make the biggest jump each year aren't always the most tal- ented, but the ones who embrace the daily process." Salvatore Guzzo, a senior at Harvard and former member of USA Hockey's National Team Development Program, added, "There are many peaks and val- leys to a season. Those ups and downs make enjoying the process that much more important. It is your discipline and perseverance throughout the day- to-day that will lead the way in both the classroom and on the ice." 34 // SEPTEMBER 2026 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM