A hockey player’s development changes as the level of competition increases. Early in a player’s career, progress is often easy to recognize. A faster stride, a harder shot or a new skill can create an immediate impact on the ice.
But as players move to higher levels, progress becomes harder to measure. The gains become smaller, the details matter more and development becomes less about adding new skills and more about refining the existing ones.
At that stage, growth comes from making smarter decisions, becoming more consistent and continuing to find areas where improvement is possible.
That is the phase Josh Forss is in.
Four days in the weight room and three or four days on the ice fill his offseason schedule. Between workouts, the 18-year-old high school graduate focuses on eating enough to add weight as he prepares for two more years of junior hockey, all with the goal of eventually competing at the Division I level.
Once the season begins, his focus shifts from offseason preparation to improving his game on the ice. Each practice becomes another opportunity to learn from his coaches, become a stronger defenseman and refine the parts of his game that still need work. While his priorities may change throughout the season, his commitment to getting better does not.
Forss hopes that if a younger player watched him practice, they would notice how much effort he brings to every drill. Progress, he has learned, is not instant. Instead, it comes from consistent work — one practice, adjustment and repeated habit at a time.
Achieving Big Goals Through Small Daily Choices
For Forss, success means reaching the goals he sets for himself. One of those goals is earning the opportunity to play Division I hockey, a level he knows requires more than talent or ambition alone.
A few strong practices or one successful season are not enough to reach that point. It requires training, consistency, discipline and a commitment to improving even when he cannot see the results yet.
Much of that work has focused on his skating, an area he has prioritized through offseason training. He also relies on feedback from his coaches to strengthen his game, applying those lessons during practices and games.
Competitive hockey comes with many factors outside a player’s control. Coaches make roster decisions, roles can change and games do not always go the way athletes hope.
“Each year you try out for a team and sometimes you don’t make the team you want,” Forss said. “You have to deal with it and tell yourself that you’ll get better this season and make the team you want next year. Just don’t give up.”
While many parts of hockey are out of his hands, Forss can control how prepared he is, the effort he brings each day and his willingness to keep developing as a player.
Instead of letting setbacks define him, he uses them as motivation and sees them as opportunities for improvement. To him, having a performance mindset means continuing to press forward through every challenge.
Turning Weaknesses Into Opportunities to Grow
Looking back, Forss would encourage his younger self to work hard and focus on overcoming his weaknesses. Skating has remained one of his biggest areas of focus over the past two years.
“I’m constantly working on my skating in the offseason,” Forss said.
For some athletes, improvement is measured by whether a weakness eventually becomes a strength. In reality, development rarely works that way. A player can make significant progress in a certain area and still need to continue refining it.
Advancing to a higher level means facing new challenges. A skill that was once good enough may now need to become faster, more consistent or more reliable under pressure. The standard changes, and players must continue adapting with it.
Progress is not always obvious right away. In fact, a player can spend months working on the same skill without seeing dramatic changes. However, as time passes, small adjustments start to add up. A correction might become instinctive, a mistake may be recognized sooner or a movement might suddenly become more natural in a high-pressure situation.
Those moments are often where the greatest growth happens.
Forss understands that development is not about reaching a point where there is nothing left to improve. It is about constantly finding ways to become a better player and never assuming the work is finished.
That kind of disciplined mindset takes honesty. Athletes must be willing to recognize the areas where they need to improve instead of only focusing on what they already do well. For Josh Forss, weaknesses are not something to avoid. They are opportunities to grow and take the next step toward being a more capable player.
Repetition Creates Confidence Under Pressure
Confidence at a higher level comes from knowing you have put in the work and having evidence that you are prepared. Forss builds that confidence through repetition.
Every skating session, workout and practice drill gives him a chance to improve his game. One repetition won’t guarantee a perfect play, but each adds up, creating habits a player can rely on when the pace picks up and the game becomes more demanding.
Preparation does not remove pressure, but it can change how an athlete responds to it. A difficult situation may still be challenging, but it is no longer completely unfamiliar. The player has already practiced in those situations, made mistakes and learned from them.
Effort is one of the few things a player has control over. For Forss, confidence comes from knowing he has prepared, continued learning and done his part to help his team succeed.
The Value of Being a Coachable Athlete
During the competitive hockey season, Forss’ coaches are instrumental in helping him identify areas where he can continue to grow as a player.
Coaches often notice details that players may not see themselves. They can provide constructive feedback on technique, positioning, decision-making or habits that are impacting the athlete’s performance. Feedback only becomes valuable, however, when the player takes that information and applies it during the next practice, drill or game.
Listening to his coaches allows Forss to correct mistakes, but it also helps him develop a deeper understanding of the game. As a defenseman, improving requires learning how to read plays, make smarter decisions and anticipate what will happen before it happens.
The more an athlete studies their sport, accepts feedback and applies what they learn, the better prepared they become when similar situations come up in the future.
Coaches do not expect players to be perfect, but they value those who are open to feedback, willing to adjust and committed to daily improvement. At higher levels, talent is important, but teams need athletes with strong habits and a reliable work ethic.
Forss hopes to become that kind of teammate and player — someone who is remembered for his effort, dedication and the positive impact he has on those around him.
The Process Behind the Progress
Josh Forss enjoys working with younger players because older athletes helped coach him when he was first learning hockey, leaving a positive and lasting impression. Now, he hopes to provide that same support to players who are just starting out in their own hockey journeys.
For young athletes, enjoying the game can be just as important as learning the right techniques. Forss encourages them to have fun and does not let them take the game too seriously, often laughing with them throughout practices.
Athlete development takes years of repetition, patience and consistent effort. Players are more likely to continue improving when they enjoy the process and look forward to coming back to the rink.
Forss also believes the lessons learned through hockey extend far beyond the game. Learning how to work hard, accept feedback, overcome setbacks and support teammates are skills that can benefit athletes in school, future careers and everyday life, regardless of how long they stick with the sport.
As Forss continues pursuing junior hockey and working toward his Division I goal, he is guided by the belief that tomorrow’s opportunities are created by the work he puts in today.
For him, becoming a better athlete is not about waiting for one breakthrough moment. It is about showing up each day, accepting feedback, refining even the smallest details of his game and trusting that small improvements will add up over time. That process, more than any single game or season, is what he believes will help him reach his goal, one practice at a time
