ADM Kids

Q: What should I do if my child only likes playing a certain position?

A: It’s common for young players to be disappointed when they’re asked to play a position they don’t prefer. Usually it’s when they’re asked to play defense, because everybody wants to score. Sometimes it’s when they’re stationed anywhere but between the pipes, because some kids gravitate toward the big pads and masks.

While the most direct answer to your question would be something old-school like, “tell them it’s for their own good, so they learn all the positions,” that approach won’t resonate with most kids, nor is it particularly fun, so a different tactic might be more effective.

A great place to start is by making your child aware of the upside of playing the position in question. For example, tell them how defenders get to control the pace and see the entire ice when making plays. They’re truly the spark that ignites the attack.

Selling forward is easy. You are the attack and you can score lots of goals.

As for goalie, you’re the last line of defense, the most integral part of a team’s success.

Moving beyond that, it can also be helpful to show children examples of players who achieved success on the big stage in part because of their positional versatility. Dave Christian, Dustin Byfuglien, Gigi Marvin – each achieved great success as a multi-position hockey player.

Lastly, this can be a great time to begin sowing the seeds of a champion’s mindset in your young player. Champions embrace challenges as opportunities to improve. They don’t seek the path of least resistance. Champions also take a long-term view of their development. As difficult as it might be for a young child to grasp, what they can do on the ice today isn’t nearly as important as what they’ll be able to do as teenagers. The foundation of that future success begins today, with failing and succeeding outside their comfort zone.

Putting it All Together

In today’s game, players are largely interchangeable (especially in the pre-college ranks), so we recommend playing every position at 8U. It helps kids develop a wide variety of crucial physical and sport-specific skills at a key time in their trainability windows.

As for how to convince your youngster, fun is paramount, so when it comes to helping them cope with a position that isn’t their favorite, highlight the fun aspects, the star players who possess impressive versatility, and the champion's mindset. As long as it’s fun, your child will develop a passion for the game regardless of position.