In sports, character qualities can be described in two aspects: personal character and performance character. These two kinds of character qualities work hand-in-hand for players and teams to attain winning results on and off the ice. Personal characteristics may include (but not limited to) integrity, respect, teamwork, charisma, honesty, kindness, resilience, perseverance, compassion, and determination. Performance characteristics can include focus, mental and physical toughness, confidence, tenacity, competitiveness and self-discipline.
When is it Observed?
Character could also be defined as a set of traits that reveal themselves only when tested. It is often described as how a person acts when no one is looking. It is possible to have a significant amount of performance characteristics yet be plagued by an equal amount of deficiencies on the Personal character. Sure, you’ll stand out in your team, but it’ll also be at the detriment of everyone around you, and the sport at large. A person’s character is made obvious through their demeanor as well as their behavior. According to The Star Sports, a player that possesses character is regarded as one with certain moral qualities that are unflinching even in the face of adversity.
Coaches & Scouts
Character is one of the most important traits a hockey player must have for them to have any hopes of advancing to a significant point in their careers. One reason is that character is the first thing most coaches and scouts look for when recruiting players. True enough, the player under consideration must obviously have skill and flair and the desire necessary to compete at any particular level. But your character will most likely be the deciding factor that will determine you getting an opportunity to play on a team of your dreams or getting turned away.
Teammates
In many ways, character can be looked at as the foundation upon which other qualities are built. In several occasions in history, matches and epic battles have been won and lost because one person or a group of people stepped up to the plate and turned things around. The truth is, once you get in the competitive level in hockey, there are no days off. The competition is so high that every player in the league will be trying to defeat you. Trying to be better than you. Even your teammates. You will compete with a couple of your teammates looking for top spot. In those moments, a strong character is the only way you can hope to keep your head up.
Making it into the National Hockey League is extremely difficult, but achievable. Staying in (and making a name for yourself)? Now, that’s the hard part. Throughout history, many talented players rose fast and high, but crashed even faster because they couldn’t stay centered.
Game Situations
Character is knowing that the coach is probably not going to use you on his power play, or give you as much ice time as you want, but still going ahead to support the team in whatever way you can, whatever way you are asked to. A player who has character understands situations in a game, understands team instructions, respects fellow teammates, and plays for the collective good of the team. Any player who doesn’t possess these qualities will sooner find themselves off the team or not advancing anywhere.
In games like hockey where significant emphasis is placed on respect for the game, the traditions, other players, the fans, etc., lack of character can mean almost certain downfall. Sure enough, winning is important…. But winning is not the only the important thing.
In a game that preaches respect for tradition, lots of other values are in place for players to embody, and sometimes those things conflict with winning. Such characteristics include fairness, passion, skill, teamwork, empathy, etc. Hockey is meant to be tough, exciting and full of memorable moments.
Hockey is a unique team game and, unlike other sports such as basketball, solo moves almost never pay off. As a hockey player, you should be willing to sacrifice for the team by doing both the eye-catching as well as the less-glamorous tasks. If you’re only satisfied when you score a goal, then you’re going to turn out a pretty frustrated hockey player.
In high-performance sports such as hockey, skill, positive personal and performance character are the keys for advancement. Character builds team spirit, which in turn produces fighting and winning results. When members of a team understand that their collective contributions can yield remarkable successes for them, then they can become unbeatable.
