Hockey players are youth players for a far smaller portion of their lives than they are adults, Carlson notes, but the focus from teams to associations all the way up to USA Hockey tended to be on those 12 or so years as kids. Programming for, appreciating and committing to adult hockey is necessary for the continued growth of hockey in America. So, he started sharing the things that he’d learned in his job and around the sport with those around him.
As a board member of the USA Hockey Adult Council for the past 15 years, Carlson has been integral in shining a light on adult hockey in the U.S. and helping groups around the country organize adult leagues and associations.
Throughout his career, Carlson has honed the art of observation. It’s a byproduct of being able to respond to issues quickly at the Super Rink. He is constantly learning and taking in ideas and feedback and seeing what the people around him are doing.
“I’m so grateful for all the people that I’ve gotten to watch and witness how they conduct themselves in public settings,” he said. “There are so many people I’ve learned from. You don’t learn it overnight. Thank you to the thousands of people that don’t even know I was watching them and learning from them”
There’s nothing to do with the mass of information he’s gathered other than share it, Carlson said. And he hopes that other volunteers across hockey do the same thing with their collective knowledge, because the next generation is watching them and will take their cues on how to act.
Though he is careful to warn against taking on too much, Carlson said he hopes more people around hockey get in the habit of saying “yes.” To coaching, or becoming an official, or becoming a travel coordinator, or billeting, or whatever things your local group needs. You might find something you love. You might get a completely different opportunity. But first, he said, you have to say “yes.”
“The word ‘yes’ is so powerful because it leads to a new opportunity, a new chance, new group of people to meet and learn from,” Carlson said.
“If you say yes, that’s where opportunity comes about.”
Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.
