[Maritime Q-Scout]

For all of us with kids...

Don't focus on your kids making it to the pros, or even if they're the best on the ice/field/pitch/etc

The two things that we all should be focusing on:

(1) Are they having fun; and
(2) Are they improving?

My little guy is in learn to skate. If you were to rank all the kids on the ice on their ability to skate, he's likely the furthest from the top.

But he has an absolute blast skating. I asked him after one lesson "Are you a good skater?" and he replied "Yes, I'm an awesome skater, but Gemma is better, she can stand up". Poor guy couldn't stand on his skates.

Then he could stand up on his stakes.

Now he can get up on his own when he falls.

Sure he might not be the best on the ice, but you know what? He has fun, and I say this as impartially as I can, he with out a doubt improved the most out of anyone on the ice from the start of the program.

And that's the key. Whether it's our kids in sports, or even us adults in our work lives, relationships or discussions on internet message boards... as long as we're improving, even if a little bit, day to day, week to week, we're getting better and that's what matters.

When we left the rink last night my little guy said to me "I'm getting better and better everyday!" He is. He was so happy and proud.

Is he good enough to play in the NHL? Not at the moment. Even the worst NHLer will skate circles around him. Will he be good enough to play in the NHL in 15 years? Maybe? Probably not. But really we need to be judging our kids (and ourselves) based on improvement as opposed to what everyone else is doing.