Strive for Brave: Coaching Courage in Hockey

Helping Girls Build Confidence, Courage, and a Love for the Game

Research shows that girls thrive, physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially, when they have the chance to play sports. Yet girls are leaving sports at nearly twice the rate of boys. To help change that, coaches, mentors, and communities can play a powerful role in keeping girls engaged by creating spaces that build bravery, not just skill.

The Power of Brave

Sports demand courage. Every time an athlete learns a new skill, takes a shot, or pushes past their comfort zone, they’re choosing to be brave. But for many girls, bravery doesn’t always get celebrated the same way success does.

Girls often hear praise when they perform perfectly; not when they take a risk and fall short. Over time, that can make them hesitate to try new things: the shot they’re unsure of, the position they’ve never played, the drill they might not master right away.

But those moments of choosing courage over comfort, are where the real growth happens.

Imagine the girl who shoots even when she’s unsure she’ll score. Or the forward who volunteers to play defense for the first time. Or the goalie who gives up a few goals but keeps battling and makes one huge save that changes the game’s momentum.

Those moments build a resilience and confidence that will serve her for life, on and off the ice.

How Coaches Can Help Girls “Strive for Brave”

1. Encourage Risk-Taking

When setting goals with your players, include ones that push them to try something new; whether it’s working on backhand shots, jumping into faceoffs, or playing a new position. Make risk-taking part of your team culture:

• During warm-ups, have players share one “brave thing” they’ll try that day.

• Switch up positions during practice.

• Let them experiment with new skills without fear of being benched or criticized for mistakes.

2. Celebrate Courage, Not Just Results

Make bravery visible. Catch players being brave and call it out, especially when they think no one’s watching. You could start a “Bravest Player of the Game” tradition or give shoutouts in the locker room for moments of courage — the blocked shot, the new move tried in a drill, the player who spoke up with an idea.

Yes, it’s important to recognize skill and success, but by celebrating bravery, you show players that trying matters just as much as winning.

3. Normalize Mistakes

Make mistakes part of the process. Use simple gestures, like brushing off your shoulder, to remind players it’s okay to move on from an error. Share your own stories of imperfection. When athletes see that their coach isn’t perfect either, they learn that growth matters more than flawless performance.

The Takeaway

When girls learn to value bravery as much as success, they don’t just become stronger athletes, they become more confident people. Every risk they take, every mistake they recover from, and every moment they choose to try again helps build a lifelong sense of courage.

Encourage your players to chase every puck, try every move

and take every shot, even when they’re not sure how it’ll go. Because the more girls who learn to strive for brave, the more confident, resilient, and unstoppable they’ll become — on the ice and off.