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NIXING THE NEGATIVE The easiest way to improve your game is to learn to let go of the fear of failure. When you do, you acknowledge your weaknesses so that you can strengthen your skills and take risks in your game. Think about it. How many times did Mario Lemieux try to score off the faceoff before he finally did in December of 2002? The fact is, he was taking creative risks, and most likely failed a lot in the process. As the old expression goes, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Even the experts agree that the best ath- letes see their failures as an opportunity, not an obstacle. Saferstein encourages ath- letes at all levels to experiment with cre- ative risks. "At some level, all great athletes under- stand that it's impossible to play perfect hockey and that it's inevitable that you're going to make mistakes," said Saferstein, who works with some of the top young American players in the country. "The question then becomes whether you're going to make mistakes that are a little too aggressive or a little too cautious. The developmental ceiling is much higher if you choose to make more of the [aggres- sive] kind of mistakes… if you take chances and are truly willing to explore how good you can be." What he is saying is that it is OK to feel frustration when you experiment with your game because on the other side of frustration is opportunity. The most suc- cessful athletes not only recognize this, but they embrace it. HOW CAN FAILURE UP YOUR GAME? Any goal or dream that is worth pursuing, whether in life or in hockey, comes at the hands of failure. Part of that grit is getting back up after a fall. If becoming a cham- pion was convenient and easy, we'd all be Wayne Gretzky. True losers allow failures to define them; champions use failure as fuel to improve. Saferstein offers one piece of advice that sticks with players. "Don't waste time continuing to feel sor- ry for yourself; don't waste time continuing to feel like a victim," he said. "Take a deep breath and get back to work." Some of the most significant lessons of your hockey career are going to happen following a mistake. The key is to take the time to think about the steps that will correct those mistakes to become a better player and improve your game. Understanding that failure is a neces- sary step towards success is one of the hardest lessons that you can learn. It's more difficult than perfecting a slap shot. It hurts more than falling on the ice. And, it requires more practice than any other aspect of the game. But your job is to accept what you struggled with today and see it as an opportunity for growth. Then, when you wake up tomorrow, you can learn to be a better player, and a better person, than you were the day before. P Emily Erson is a middle school teacher and hockey mom in Western Pa. 32 // DECEMBER 2017 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM T A K E A D E E P B R E A T H A N D G E T B A C K T O W O R K . SUCCESS FAILURE