It is a simple message but you see it get lost in the shuffle more and more. Athletes and parents often get distracted or so caught up in “making it” that they lose focus on what’s important. The most important part of your child’s development in their sport is that they are enjoying the process. They enjoy going to the rink, going to the gym, seeing their teammates, getting better, playing a game they love. This is so important because there is a really strong chance that your child will not make the NHL. And guess what? That is ok! Less than 1% of hockey players will realize a dream of playing in the NHL. Does that mean that they shouldn’t dream about making it and work hard to get there? Absolutely not! They definitely should! And they should pursue it with all their heart as long as it is their choice and they are enjoying it every step of the way. The pressure of the selection process starts absurdly young. I’ve seen parents and kids devastated that they did not get drafted or selected or noticed at ages in their early to mid-teens. Tons of kids at this age are still developing, all of them at their own speed. We have worked with countless athletes that would be described as late bloomers who were passed over multiple times but now play at NCAA Division 1 schools or different levels of pro hockey. They realized it was not the end of the world, they focused on what they could control, worked hard and enjoyed the process of training in the gym and on the ice, getting better every day and the rest took care of itself. We also have a number of professional hockey players who play in other pro leagues around the world and absolutely love it. There are plenty of options out there for those who focus on and enjoy the process of becoming better. The lessons taught in training far exceed their use solely in the sport as well. Valuable life skills like dedication, teamwork, commitment, selflessness, leadership, and perseverance are taught through the process of training. These skills will benefit an athlete in any endeavour they ever choose to pursue in their lives. The relationships and bonds formed through training, working hard and getting better with other people are some of the strongest friendships that a person will ever develop in their lifetime. Enjoy the process, love the process, be thankful for the opportunity to get better and you will have a level of success that will have a positive impact on your life.
The Olympics in South Korea were pretty special for Canada. Our country set a Canadian Olympic record for most medals ever won at a Winter Olympics with 11 gold, 8 silver and 10 bronze for a total of 29.
This was especially exciting for us at Focus Fitness as we had two athletes contribute directly to the medal count with Kaitlyn Lawes, gold medal in mixed doubles curling and Quinton Howden, bronze medal in men’s ice hockey. We also had Focus Fitness alumni Bailey Bram, Brigette Lacquette and Jocelyne Larocque all take home sliver in women’s ice hockey as well as Focus Fitness alumnus Brooks Macek take home silver in men’s ice hockey.
To even know six people who have competed at the Olympics is pretty amazing but to have all those six athletes come through your programming at your facility at various points of their development is really something special and something we take a great deal of pride in. Here is a little about our two Olympic medal winners that currently give pour their heart and soul into their training at Focus Fitness.
Kaitlyn has been at Focus for ten years now working closely with trainer and therapist Melissa Skibinski. I’m not sure there could be a better fit for the two of them. They both expect the best out of each other and they both deliver, their list of accomplishments since they started working together is nothing short of amazing. I believe Kaitlyn’s approach to training is one of the things that has separated her from the field and helped her reach the top of her sport. Her work ethic in the gym rivals that of any athlete we have ever had in Focus. She trains hard. Period. We all look forward to continue to help and support Kaitlyn anyway we can as she continues her career. She has been a part of Focus for so many years now she in part of the family and when she does well I think we all feel extremely proud of her success.
Quinton Howden has been a part of the Focus family for over 6 years now. He played multiple seasons with our home organizations the Winnipeg Jets and Manitoba Moose before going to the KHL. Not only is his work ethic on the ice and in the gym top level, he is also one of the best people you will meet. Honest, sincere, hardworking, stand up human being. The type of person you want around your facility and part of your programs because he makes every around him better. I have worked personally with Quinton over the years and was really proud and excited for him to be named to Canada’s Olympic team. Being a part of the Canadian team is an accomplishment in itself, but doing it with Canada’s flag ship sport of hockey is the icing on the cake. We all took great pride seeing Quinton being named to the team and then again watching him win a bronze medal.
I’ve had the privilege of working with athletes of all different age groups and all different sports, this includes NHL players, CFL players, gold medal winning Olympians and of course the Winnipeg Jets and Manitoba Moose. Because of my experience in the field I often get asked what it is that separates the great players from the good. How come some athletes “make it” and some don’t. The perception a lot of people have is that the majority of the athletes that compete at the highest level have natural ability that far exceed the norm. While this is true when comparing high level athletes to a vast majority of the population I can assure you that when comparing athlete to athlete the biggest contributing factor is effort. Effort? Really? How can something so simple be the deciding factor? It’s simple, effort dictates everything we do, when we do it and how well we do it. It is the single most important factor in our success. Think of all the greats in any sport who have achieved legendary status: Jaromir Jagr, Jerry Rice, Michael Jordan, Tom Brady. These players play or played with and against the other top players in the world in their respective sports, rose to the top and stayed there for a long time. What is the first thing people talk about when they mention these names? They talk about their work ethic, their dedication, their preparation. Guess what? All those things are 100% controlled and driven by effort. It takes absolutely zero athletic ability to be good at these things. One of my favourite quotes and best pieces of advice I ever received in my life is, “Be good at the things that require no talent.” Be on time, be willing to learn, pay attention, be ready to work. All of us have the ability to do these things well but you would be surprised how many people choose not to. Understand that it is a choice that you make every single day and it is all about effort. This message holds true for any endeavour you choose to pursue in your life. In athletics: be at practice on time, be ready to work, study your playbook, work hard in the gym. At work: be on time, read and further your education in your field. At home: listen to your family members when they speak, if you say you will do something do it, give compliments. All these are examples of things that require not talent, just effort and they will make you successful in all different aspects of your life. Effort is life’s greatest equalizer. Be good at the things that require no talent and you will have success.
For years, both Stelio Mattheos and Nick Henry have skated with Dave Cameron to help in their off-season development. They are two players that exemplify what it means to be a hockey player through their hard work, attitude and attention to detail. It is those qualities that have allowed for both players to continually develop over the off-season months and have caught the eyes of NHL scouts. Both players are ranked high by Central Scouting for the upcoming NHL Entry Draft to be held in Chicago June 23-24.
Nick Henry had a breakout season as a rookie with the Regina Pats finishing with 35 goals, 46 assists for 81 points in 72 games. He is currently ranked 25th by central scouting. Nick participates in our Junior/College Summer Program.
Stelio Mattheos had a great season with the Brandon Wheat Kings where he finished with 26 goals, 35 assists for 61 points in 69 games. Stelio also represented Canada after the WHL season with the U18 team as one of the assistant captains. Mattheos had a great tournament with 4 goals in 5 games and was named one of Canada’s top 3 players. He is currently ranked 38th by Central Scouting.
We wish both players the best of luck in the upcoming entry draft.
– Dave Cameron
Interested in joining an off-season development program? Check out our Jets Hockey Development programs and camps.
The question of how deep one should squat is always a topic of debate. There are many different factors that go into a properly performed deep squat such as strength, mobility, stability, mechanics and practicing the skill. If you can do these things well you can squat deep and despite what the naysayers might tell you it will be safe. Let’s debunk one of the main arguments that the anti-deep squat crowd will tell you, that squatting deep is hard on the knees, specifically the ligaments. When making this argument the main ligament called into question is the ACL. Now if we actually look at the numbers the section of the range of motion that puts the most stress on the ACL is the first 15-30 degrees. From there the amount of stress actually decreases as you go deeper. Even at the point of maximal stress on the ACL (15-30 degrees) the amount of stress is usually only about 25% of what the ACL is cable of handling. So as you can see the maximal stress comes quite early in the squat motion is not at a level that should be of any concern on a healthy knee.
The only thing you can control in your life is your effort. The outcome of your endeavors may not always be what you had hoped for, but never let that be because of your lack of effort. Your effort is who you are: how you work at your job, how you work at your relationships. People take note of the effort you put forth in all aspects of your life and either consciously or sub-consciously that effort becomes their perception of you. Your effort is how the world sees you and if you are honest with yourself, your effort will be how you quantify your own self-worth. An honest person cannot hide from their lack of effort. Even though your effort may not guarantee certain levels of success if your life, I do believe that people are inherently good and your effort will not go unnoticed by those who put equal effort into their life and relationships. While the accolades and monetary accumulations may happen, the respect and relationships formed will always be guaranteed. So be a good person, put the effort in.
For years, both Stelio Mattheos and Nick Henry have skated with Dave Cameron to help in their off-season development. They are two players that exemplify what it means to be a hockey player through their hard work, attitude and attention to detail. It is those qualities that have allowed for both players to continually develop over the off-season months and have caught the eyes of NHL scouts. Both players are ranked high by Central Scouting for the upcoming NHL Entry Draft to be held in Chicago June 23-24.
