7 Reasons Why You Should Hire An Ice Hockey Player To Join Your Team!

This article's title may seem a little strange - especially from the CEO of a digital marketing agency and looking back to the start of 2018, I would have agreed 100%.

So, how do you go about finding an Ice Hockey player to hire?

I was lucky enough to be invited to see my first up-close game of Ice Hockey in Milton Keynes at the start of the year having hired a new staff member who was a big fan of the sport having seen multiple games in the states.

As I have since read elsewhere, Ice Hockey is a game that not many people know, experience or understand. But, it teaches you lessons to last a lifetime. It shapes, moulds and educates you for who you become. It isn’t just a sport and those who play it have a unique skill set.

It's true, having seen it first hand - Ice Hockey players are truly skilled, reaching fast speeds balanced on thin blades, turning and changing direction and hitting powerful shots towards the opponents...all in a cold environment on freezing ice! They are NOT just knuckle-dragging neanderthals as some may think.

After watching just a few games, it was fair to say I was hooked! My agency took the option to invest as a lead sponsor for our local team Milton Keynes Lightning - later becoming their official marketing partner for the season.

During one of the first PR visits to the arena, we had watched some of the team train before striking a conversation with one of the players James Griffin #15 . He explained that he was attending University and that he was hoping to secure some hands-on experience at an agency...Some could say it was a sign?

To this day, it was one of the best decisions we made!

Watch a game of Ice Hockey you will see the players diving in front of 100mph shots. You will see them getting slammed into the boards...But for what? Self-Pleasure? Ego? Money? No. For the common goal of the team. To lay their body, mind and well-being on the line for the objective at hand: To Win!

1. Selfless. I have watched recent games where players have played games back-to-back, traveled the country with little sleep, tired and in some cases hurt yet they approach the game like it's their first of the season. I have seen players pass the puck with seconds to spare in order to secure a goal rather than risk the shot themselves. They would rather someone else achieve greatness before themselves.
2. Humility.?The Milton Keynes Lightning appointed two players as joint coaches for the team following the departure of their previous coach. These two guys play the game alongside their team, leading the way by example. Ice Hockey players don’t want the spotlight. They don’t seek out attention. They look to talk about the team, 'we', and 'us' before ever saying 'I'.
3. Creativity.?After all the practices and countless repetitions in training, they react in split seconds during the game. They come up with plays on the fly. There are systems and set-up plays - but, 99% of what happens on the ice is reactive. You react to the game. They create something out of nothing in most cases.
4. Take a punch.?I've seen some pretty incredible fights. At first it shocked me but you soon learn to cheer your home team! But, this isn’t a barbaric ritual - They take the punch for the rest of the team. They don’t shy away, they come to terms and deal with what the game throws their way. They don’t pass the buck to someone else.
5. Mindset.?In an Ice Hockey player's mind there is nothing else. During those sixty minutes they fixate and hone in on the task at hand. They don’t deviate. They prepare mentally and go through routines and study their opponents. They get mentally ready for the task at hand.
6. Work-ethic.?They skate till they puke. Simple! They spend whole summers training for the season. They miss countless parties and socials. They travel across the country and leave home, in some cases young families and elderly parents. They train until midnight and wake up at the crack of dawn. They work to constantly improve.
7. Resilience.?They might have been let go by their team, been hurt during the game or sat on the bench following a ban protecting their team players. Every Ice Hockey player has done this. Every single one. But, they go back to their training or gym, work harder and develop to overcome their shortcomings. They don’t dwell. They seek feedback and then they bounce back. Time after time.

If you a hire an Ice Hockey player, you aren’t just hiring a qualified person. You are hiring a loyal and dedicated team member. They will fight through anything. They will stand-up for the company. They will give you everything they have and they will lead by example.

James (as he is known to our team rather than 'Griff' to his Ice Hockey fans) has been on placement with us since the start of the season, working alongside our design team on live projects whilst completing his University degree. Who knows what the future holds for him - but if its a career with an agency - he'll always have another team here, waiting to back him.

Scott Jones is the CEO of?123 Internet Group , a full service digital marketing agency with a head office in Milton Keynes and further locations in Northampton and London we support a national audience with?web design and development ,?search engine marketing ,?social media management ,?hosting and email services . For more information about our services or advice on how to improve your online marketing activities please reach out and connect with us via our?website ?or our social media channels.