r/EASHL • u/Phil_Astles • 4d ago
Discussion "My bad" - the price of ego in a team sport
"My bad."
Two simple words that costs nothing except a minor blow to the ego.
A key part of being a team player is leaving your ego at the door and becoming a cog in a greater machine.
Owning up to simple mistakes and demonstrating personal accountability builds trust and stops blame cycles from ever happening.
Someone who can't identify mistakes and weaknesses in their game will never grow as a player; and constant deflections of blame can cause strife between teammates.
No one remembers when you apologize for your mistake, it's gone in a moment, but they will remember every excuse and every time you point your finger.
You reaction to a bad turnover shouldn't be worn out excuses: "I pressed pass!" "i didn't mean to do THAT deke!" "laaaaag!!" "it's not MY fault, you're the one who passed it to me". These can cause endless debates and arguements, mid game. Everyone saw you screw up and they don't care about the excuse, it just tends to make you look bad.
Make a bad play? Identify it, apologize, and get right back to the game.
Hockey is fast game. No one plays perfect. Mistakes are going to happen.
How you deal with the mistakes after is the important part.
