Work Harder than the Next Goalie

‘Tenders Tips #1

Nobody trains harder than Roberto Luongo

 
OK, so you want to play in the NHL. Everyone does. The question is – are you willing to work for it?

Two things come to mind:

Before game 3 of the Canucks-Chicago series only one Canuck player dressing that night showed up for the optional practice in the morning – Goalie Roberto Luongo. One of, if not the best in the business never takes a day off. ’nuff said.

From another sport – I have a background coaching rowing. Rowers are well-known for being some of the hardest working, most inspiring athletes around (the Canucks invited Canada’s Olympic Gold Medal Men’s Eight to give the team a pre-game pep talk for this very reason). The Canadian men’s coach, Mike Spraklen, I’m told will often tell an athlete who complains of being tired or wanting to end a workout because of bad weather: “OK, that’s fine. But do you think the German’s are ending their workout early today?” 

If you want to be the best that you can be, it’s not enough to just want it. 

The next time you go to pick up the remote control or your Nintendo DS ask yourself: “Is there another goalie somewhere going out for a run while I sit on the couch?”

photo thanks to Philip "PiscesDreamer" via Flickr