What Kind of Player Are You?
We’re excited to announce that we’re hosting our very first Grit Kore Hockey IQ Camp, built directly on the framework from our Hockey IQ – Four Attributes of Hockey workbook. This camp takes the same four key ideas from the book — the Basic Objective, Flow, Context, and Self-Awareness — and puts them into action on the ice, helping Pewee and Bantam players stop just playing the game and start seeing it.
This camp is held in cooperation with Matt Moulson and the Moulson Mindset. Matt is leading the Hockey IQ workshop and on-ice sessions, bringing his NHL experience directly to our players.
And just like the book, this camp is about more than hockey IQ. It’s built to develop the whole athlete: sharper decision-making and pattern recognition, the mental strength to play with confidence under pressure, and the daily habits — including athlete nutrition — that carry into real game situations. Grit, on and off the ice.
The Hockey IQ workbook is endorsed by NHL coaches and active/former NHL players, with a foreword from Matt Deschamps (USHL/NCAA Division 1) and research input from a PhD Research Fellow at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences on visual perception and scanning in elite ice hockey.
Want to get a head start before the season? Grab your copy of the Hockey IQ workbook and start building these habits now: Buy the Hockey IQ Book →
Hockey IQ with Coach Moulson: Your Hockey Card
We started with your “hockey card.” Take an honest look at yourself as a player and ask:
- What type of player are you?
- What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses?
- How do you see yourself on the ice?
If you’re not sure what type of player you are yet, don’t worry — you’ve got plenty of time to figure it out. Coach Moulson admitted it took him a long time to understand his own strengths and weaknesses, and how to be the best player he could be with the skill set he had. The most important thing isn’t having all the answers right now — it’s the thought process: being aware of who you are as a player and where you fit best on your team.
Nutrition: Fuel Your Engine
Self-awareness matters here too. Nobody can tell you when you’re hungry — the only person who knows what your body feels is you. Learn to listen to your body’s cues. Pay attention to timing: eat protein to recover and rebuild your muscles, and reach for energizing high-carb foods when you need fuel.
Some of the world’s top athletes eat as much as 6,000 calories a day to keep up with their training demands. Every athlete is different, but here’s roughly what fueling looks like for a growing hockey player:
- A normal day for an average 13-year-old hockey player is about 2,700–3,000 calories. That’s already way more than a kid the same age who doesn’t play sports (they need around 2,250). Why? You’re building muscle AND still growing.
- Each hockey game burns about 400–700 calories — you’re basically doing sprints for a full hour. Pro players burn 1,500+ in a single game; you’re smaller and get fewer shifts, but it adds up fast.
- A two-game day can hit 3,500–4,400 calories — your normal 2,700–3,000, plus roughly 800–1,400 for the two games on top. That’s a lot of extra fuel you have to actually put back in.
Think of it this way: your body is the car, and food is the gas. The bigger the engine, the more gas it needs — and a growing hockey player has a big engine. Only you know when your tank is running empty, so listen to your body!
Breathwork: Nose Breathing
Practice nose breathing. Nose breathing is much healthier than mouth breathing — mouth breathing actually adds to your stress.
Watch: Nose Breathing Inspiration→
This Week’s Challenge: Cook Your Family Breakfast
Make your family breakfast this week — your favorite eggs, any style. Because only when you prepare and cook your own food do you really know what you’re eating.
See you next week!
Train your body. Train your mind. Find a Way.
The Daily Gap: Teaching Kids to Live Inside the Growth Gap and Earn Their Confidence
