Should Coaches Try and Win? Episode 138 - Quick Shift Episode
Derek Bujan goes solo and tackles a hot youth-hockey debate: does winning matter at ages 9–11? After seeing a viral clip claiming “winning doesn’t matter — only development,” Derek argues that’s an incomplete definition of development. He explains why confidence must be owned, why resiliency is the real goal, and how competitive moments create the life lessons kids need. Plus, Derek shares a powerful story from his son’s Oakville Winter Classic run and the post-game response that proved why this matters.
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Show Notes
Key Points Discussed
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The youth hockey buzzword problem: “development” often gets reduced to individual skill work and ignores human development.
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Why Derek believes winning matters — not as the only priority, but as a teacher of responsibility, teamwork, pressure, and accountability.
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Confidence explained: confidence is owned, built through preparation (routine, hydration, nutrition, visualization), and shouldn’t be dependent on external validation.
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Resiliency explained: bouncing back from fear, failure, and adversity — and why kids must experience competitive situations to learn it.
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Coaching reality: a coach being “hard on a player” can mean investment; being ignored is often the real warning sign.
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The difference between putting players in positions to succeed vs “shortening the bench to win.”
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Story from the Oakville Winter Classic: late goals against, overtime loss, and the mindset response Derek got from his 10-year-old goalie son the next day.
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Book recommendation: Ego Is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday — why it’s valuable for athletes, goalies, and hockey parents.
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Listener/community plug: Derek invites DMs and in-person conversations at rinks; encourages sharing the episode and leaving a 5-star review.
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