Sled Stars

MARK THOSE CALENDARS!
We’re gonna be at the UTA Adaptive Sports Expo September 19th from 10 to 12 showcasing this epic sport with the community!

If you’re in the area come say “hi” and take the opportunity to check out other adaptive sports that’ll be in the expo with us.

We can’t wait to talk about Sled!!😁

🌟MEET THE STARS 🌟
NUMBER 2
MIKE SMITH SR

Mike is our recent “transfer student” from Arizona and is joining the Stars this season as one of our goalies and we’re so glad he’s joined us! He’s bringing knowledge and skill to the net and we have his wheelchair softball coach to thank for his introduction to the game.

Mike has played goalie in multiple scenarios and tournaments but his favorite memory is playing in LA against the Ducks where the local high school team stayed to watch him get his very first shut out with 40 shots on goal recorded!
🥅 Though he’s not faced that kind of relentless pressure (yet) with the Stars, he’s been an absolute asset to our team, sharing his knowledge and encouraging others to stick around and watch since the game is so much more fun than most people assume.
🏒 He also has spent time learning and adjusting his game to play at more competitive levels because skaters are getting faster as well as shooting from different distances, he’s a big advocate of adjusting and being flexible as that is the best and only way to grow in the game
🥅 And while flexibility is one of the best ways to grow in the game, he also says that being honest and listening to other players is a key to growing and something that’s shaped how he plays today.

Through it all, Mike’s mentality is very simple: “No excuses,” he lives in that mentality and he shares the concept that it’s not the mistake that hurts, it’s what you do after the mistake that counts. With an attitude like that, we’re happy he’ll be guarding our net this season!

When the Play Doesn't Go According to Plan
Part 2: What Happens Next?
So Plan A fell apart. The pass missed. The puck bounced. The defender got there first. SOMETHING happened and everything that you originally planned has been screwed up.
Now what?
Now, for some players, the concept of their plan not working truly is the end of the road. They fail to adjust and find another option. It’s not because they’re incapable of that ability, it’s because they chose to put all their eggs in one basket and now they’re scrambling to figure out a new plan. Remember how we always say the game moves fast? Well, it’s even faster when you don’t truly have a plan in mind. Suddenly you’re feeling very much lost in the water. You’re questioning things like “How did that possibly go wrong?” Or maybe asking yourself “What happened?” “Where did I go wrong?”
The issue is…while you’re trying to process the answers…the game is STILL moving. And here's where good players separate themselves. Because they don't spend the next five seconds thinking about what should have happened. They don’t focus on what went wrong.
They look up.
🥅 Where's the puck?�🏒 Where's the pressure?�🥅 Where are my teammates?�🏒 What just changed?
Rather than letting the failed plan run their whole shift, they begin searching for a new plan, and everyone knows that before you can make your next decision, you have to recognize the new version of the play.

And this is where players can get stuck, because more often than not, a player will see if there’s a way to make their original plan still work. They’re looking up, they’re seeing new options, but they still have a one track mind.
SOMETIMES, this can work…other times you’re basically beating a dead horse and ruining an opportunity from developing. Think about it. You made a pass expecting your teammate to go left.
They went right. The original plan is ruined, and if you're still looking left because that's where the play was supposed to go, rather than focusing on how to get the play going with what you have, you're already behind.
The best response isn't always faster or forcing something that simply doesn’t fit. Sometimes it's simply quicker recognition.
Sometimes instead of saying “Well how can I salvage this?” you should be saying, “That didn't work. So what does the ice give me now?”
🥅 Maybe the answer is another pass.
🏒 Maybe it's protecting the puck.
🥅 Maybe it's defending.
🏒 Maybe it's abandoning the original idea completely.
The point isn't to ✨magically ✨know the answer every time.
The point is learning to look for the answer instead of staying stuck in the question.

And here's the fun part: Sometimes the broken play creates something better than the original plan ever could. 👀
Because THAT’S how hockey works.
It’s not always about those perfectly laid plans. Sometimes it’s picking up the broken plans and creating beautiful opportunities.

When the Play Doesn't Go According to Plan
Part 1: Well…That Wasn't Supposed to Happen.
Though ESPN would beg to differ, perfect hockey doesn’t exist. You can plan and practice that plan, and do everything right, but when you finally hit the ice, things tend to change. Rapidly.
That’s how it works.
Hockey is rarely (if ever) as beautiful as we envision it in our minds to be.
And we know you know exactly what we’re talking about. That beautiful hockey play you've imagined in your head?
🥅 The perfect pass.�🏒 The perfect timing.�🥅 The perfect finish.
🏒 The perfect shot.
🥅 The sound of a whistle signifying a goal.
Yeah. That vision.
The thing is, Hockey didn't get that memo for perfect.
And it probably wouldn’t have listened anyways. 😂
The truth is even when you plan for perfect, things get in the way:
🏒 The pass gets missed.
🥅 The puck takes a weird bounce.
🏒 Your teammate isn't where you expected.
🥅 The defender reads you.

Suddenly, your original plan is gone. Disappeared. A myth. A beautiful dream that won’t be achieved.
And for a lot of players, that mentality sort of ruins any hope of anything working in that moment. But the thing is, a broken play can still work. Yes, the original play might be dead and buried but that doesn’t mean the play is over.

Which, truthfully is what we want to really push today. Because good hockey isn't about having a perfect plan.
It's about knowing what to do when your perfect plan gets absolutely wrecked.

The mistake itself isn't always the problem.
Sometimes the bigger problem is what happens after it.
Do you freeze? Do you keep trying to force the play that isn't there anymore? Or do you recognize: “Okay. That didn't work. What's happening NOW?” Because the game doesn't pause while you mourn Plan A.
Quite the opposite actually. The puck keeps moving. The defense keeps moving. Your teammates keep moving. So should your thinking.

And with that thinking, here's the question we want to throw at you: When a play falls apart, what's the FIRST thing you look for?
🏒The puck?�🥅 Your teammate?�🛷 The pressure?�⛸️ The open ice?
Tell us and stay tuned tomorrow to find out what options work best 👀

Don’t mind us, just air dropping a little joy to your timeline

Eggzackly 🤪😆

🏒🙃