Sports & Gaming

Play It Forward

Lesson time 04:39 min

From growing up in sports to becoming a pro hockey player and the father of five kids, Wayne has a unique perspective on the way people handle youth sports. He believes it should be all about the fun.

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Topics include: It’s Not Life or Death

Wayne Gretzky

Teaches the Athlete’s Mindset

NHL star Wayne Gretzky shares his journey and his approach to a winning mindset, from tapping into your true passion to committing to success every day.

Preview

[MUSIC PLAYING] - We all live our lives through our kids, and that's the greatest thing about life. And, you know, it's a family tree of grandparents, parents, and then your kids, and it just keeps on going on. And that's the greatest thing in life is family. And for me, my wife being a tremendous athlete, my first three children were good athletes. And my daughter, Paulina, was a good athlete. My son Ty, who out of three boys was the only one who actually sort of played hockey. And then Trevor and Tristan and Emma. And it's really interesting, because we're of belief that sports is great for kids, as I've learned myself firsthand. I grew up in a place where you could build a rink in the backyard. My kids grew up in a city that is 80 degrees and sunny every day. So you sort of roll with the environment and roll with where you're living. And yet, sports is a great way of life. And whether it's ice hockey, or basketball, baseball, tennis, golf, my dad always said the same thing. You learn so much about life if you participate in a sport and especially a team sport. You learn work ethic, and attitude, and selfishness, and teamwork, and preparation. And those are all things you're going to use in life. [MUSIC PLAYING] Parents are all the same. You want your children to be successful. You want to see them accomplish something unique. You want to see them win. And that's all great. I think at the end of the day, being an ex-professional athlete, I have a very unique perspective on it, in the sense that I don't get overly concerned with children's wins or losses. I had a hockey tournament that I've had since 19-- I guess, 1982 or 1983, in my hometown at Christmastime called The Wayne Gretzky Minor Hockey Tournament, boys and girls. And one of the young coaches who was coaching an eight-year-old team asked me to come in and say a few words to his team. And I said, I think I'm the wrong guy for that. And he goes, no, no. Just come in and say anything you want. Just come in for two minutes. And I told him again, I said, I think I'm the wrong guy for that. So eventually I went in the locker room, and I wished all the kids good luck. And I said, listen, it doesn't matter if you win or lose. It's how many goals you get today. Make sure you have fun. And I think the coach looked at me and almost fell over. But that's the way I look at kid's hockey. It's supposed to be fun. It doesn't matter if you win or lose at eight years old, you're not going to remember it at 12. And so that's kind of the way my attitude was with my children. Although, as they got more involved and then they get older, yeah, I'd get excited when they win. And I want them to be successful, like any parent. But when kids are eight, or nine, 10 years old, I'm-- all my I guess, competitive juices go out the window. Because I know, having been through it my whole life, it's not life or death losing a game when you're nine years old. Kids are kids. Let them b...

About the Instructor

Over his 21-year career, Wayne Gretzky not only rewrote the NHL record book, he also set himself apart as one of the most accomplished professional athletes of all time. Now “The Great One” shares the moments and mindset that made him successful so you can aim for greatness in your own life. Learn the power of an athlete’s mindset and tap into passion, motivation, and dedication. Get ready to take your biggest shot yet.

Featured MasterClass Instructor

Wayne Gretzky

NHL star Wayne Gretzky shares his journey and his approach to a winning mindset, from tapping into your true passion to committing to success every day.

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