top of page

The One That Got Away: A Lesson from a Hockey Weekend in St. John

Writer's picture: Lisa LiberatoreLisa Liberatore

Updated: Feb 4



Last weekend, we packed up and headed to St. John for a hockey tournament—one of those trips that reminds you why youth sports are so much more than just the game. We stayed in the coolest hotel, complete with an indoor waterslide, a hot tub, and an energy level that could power a small city. The place was packed—hockey kids from all over Canada and Maine, buzzing with excitement, filling every hallway with laughter, gear bags, and, of course, endless games of knee hockey.


It was absolute chaos. And it was awesome.


Between games, kids would disappear into the hallways for impromptu knee hockey matches, their own mini-tournaments happening right outside the hotel rooms at all hours. It was the kind of weekend memories are made of.


And then Sunday morning happened.


We were sitting at breakfast with a few of my son’s teammates when they casually mentioned the epic knee hockey battle from the night before. “It was so fun—wish you had come out, man!” one of them said.


I looked at my son. He hadn’t mentioned a thing about it.


So later, as we were reflecting on the trip, I asked, “Did you know they were playing last night?”


“Yeah,” he said.


“So… why didn’t you go?”


He shrugged. “I didn’t think you’d say yes, so I didn’t ask.”


And that stopped me in my tracks.


Here I was, dedicating my whole weekend to his happiness, making sure he had the best experience possible, and yet—somewhere in his mind—he had already decided the answer would be no. He didn’t even try. That internal narrative held him back from something he really wanted to do.


Now, don’t get me wrong—we had an early game, and yeah, I probably wouldn’t have let him stay up all night. But would I have let him play for a bit, have fun, be a part of those memories? 10000% yes. Because that’s what this is all about.


And it got me thinking… How often do we do this to ourselves?


How many times have we not asked for something—an opportunity, a favor, an experience—because we’ve already told ourselves no? How many things have we missed out on, not because someone actually said no, but because we assumed they would?


So here’s my challenge: Next time you catch yourself hesitating, thinking you already know the answer—ASK.


Even if the answer is no, at least you’ll know for sure. And who knows? You might just get a yes.


Because if you don’t ask… you might be missing out on something great.

1 view0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Comments


bottom of page