There are a lot of prospect camps and showcase events in hockey that are coming up soon. Are you prepared for them?

Proper Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance.
British Army Adage

I once had a coach say this to our team and I thought that he actually had come up with it himself…. It wasn’t until I did some research for this topic on preparedness did I find out that it was an old adage used by the British Army during World War 2.
I now feel more prepared to touch on this topic…….
It also made me think more about how preparation is a factor in so many things in life and not only hockey. Preparation factors in to your success in school, work, life…… really in whatever you are trying to accomplish.

“Before everything else, getting ready is the secret to success.”
Henry Ford

But here is what you have to come to terms with. Preparation can suck. It can be tedious. It can be boring. It rarely is glamorous. It is the off-season. It is practice. It is training.
It is vital.

Preparation is not glamorous. The games, successes and the results of preparation are though.

A few years ago I decided to run my first marathon. People ask me if running in it was tough and I tell them it really wasn’t. The marathon was not tough……preparing for it was.  I did not just show up on race day and expect to accomplish it. There had to be months of preparation. Months of long, hot, boring runs. But that preparation led to one of the greatest feelings of accomplishment I have had in my lifetime. The impact of what you are doing now may not show up for a while, but make no mistake will show up at some time. There is an old hockey quote that goes something like this, “There will come a time in February or March that the game of hockey will ask you what you did last May and June…….”

“The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.”
John F. Kennedy

If you want to take advantage of opportunities to use your talent, then you must be prepared when the opportunities arise. Once the opportunity presents itself, it’s too late to get ready. Or as Hall of Fame basketball coach John Wooden said, “When opportunity comes it’s too late to prepare.”

We have all had that brutal feeling of having a test or exam when you know you have not studied enough or effectively.  That same brutal feeling exists in hockey when you are not ready for something and will be there any time in life when you have not prepared properly. Make it a habit of getting up every day and asking yourself if you are organized and are doing the things necessary to prepare for success. Physically, mentally, spiritually. Prepare every day to improve every day. Preparation doesn’t begin with what you do. It begins with what you believe. If you believe that your success tomorrow depends on what you do today, then you will treat today differently…you will do the little things consistently that others wont.

“Talent alone won’t make you a success. Neither will being in the right place at the right time, unless you are ready. The most important question is: ‘Are your ready?’
Johnny Carson

 I know for a fact that one of the ‘intangibles’ that scouts and recruiters look at is how well a player prepares. They want to know and ask, “How does he prepare? Is he a ‘Pro’.” Preparation is a skill that can be developed and improved on. It takes commitment, focus and repetition. Every day. Not some days. Not most days. Every day.

Preparation is a precursor for confidence. and we all know that when you are confident you play great. Confidence and courage come through preparation and practice. Simply, when you are better prepared you are a better player.

 “If I had six hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend the first hour sharpening the ax.”
Abraham Lincoln

Being prepared properly also allows you to deal with adversity and trouble with ease and confidence. There is no greater example of this than ‘The Miracle On The Hudson’. Which, when you listen to Captain Sully Sullenberger really wasn’t a miracle, just preparedness showing up. (this is pretty cool….)

Have a great week everyone! Get Ready!!!! Show up day in and day out……..