Hey everybody, Coach Lance from onlinehockeytraining.com. I'm really excited about today's video as I'm going to be talking about one of my favorite hockey players of all time, Sydney Crosby. Ever since he broke into the league in 2005, the guy has been nothing more than spectacular in his 14 year career. Racking up 1,216 points in 943 regular season games and an additional 186 points in 164 playoff games where he led the penguins to two Stanley Cups as their captain. That's what everybody has seen over the years. Sheer brilliant, but what you haven't seen much of is how he continues to prepare each summer in order to maintain his consistent dominance. I recently got my hands on this footage of Mr. Crosby working with his on ice skills instructor. Now he's no spring chicken anymore, but take a look at the focus he shows drill after drill. He's not behaving like a seasoned veteran, more like a rookie trying to earn a roster spot. Yes, from a very young age, this Cole Harbor Nova Scotian native clearly was different from the normal hockey player. Before the age of 10, he significantly distanced himself talent-wise from other kids' own age. But was he a prodigy? Dictionary.com defines prodigy as a person, especially a child or young person, having extraordinary talent or ability. When I think of a prodigy, it's the story of a kid who gets introduced to a piano for the first time, sits down and starts playing like he's been taking lessons for years. That's not Sydney Crosby, what he has been since the beginning is super passionate for the sport of hockey. This proud Canadian has been investing in himself year after year, putting in the work, getting those extra reps that others are unwilling to do on a consistent basis week after week. It's been said that the year that he spent at Shaddock St. Mary's Prep School in Minnesota, where he helped them win a national championship, that if he wasn't in class or studying, he had a stick and ball working on his hands all the time. What so many people quickly forgot is that Sydney Kid's career was for the longest time thought to be over due to several concussions. From 2010 to 2012, number 87 was thought to be a superstar that's career was tragically cut short due to injury. But he has overcome every obstacle that's been thrown at him, has persevered, and continues to be a role model for young hockey players worldwide, both on and off the ice. It's hard to find anything negative about Sydney Crosby. His on ice achievements are incredible and are what most focus on when speaking about him. But I like to peel back a couple layers of the onion and highlight what really makes 87 so special, his extreme passion for the sport and inner drive to always prepare to perform at the highest level day after day. Believe it or not, Sydney Crosby and I have something in common. We both have the same coach at some point in time in our career. This guy right here, Jacques Martin. He's currently one of the assistant coaches under Mike Sullivan and Pittsburgh. I had him as my coach in Ottawa, and I'll never forget the quote that he always said throughout the season. Focus on the process, boys, and the results will take care of themselves. To this day, I still repeat it weekly in my head when I get distracted or feeling not so motivated. So thank you, coach Martin, and hope all as well. Sydney Crosby has also drank the Jacques Martin Kool-Aid as he's been perfecting his process for years, to give himself the best opportunity, to continue to be an impact player night after night. But that's the result. The process is what gets you there, all of the extras players do when the camera is turned off and nobody is watching. It's no accident that Sydney Crosby has been one of the NHL top performers each season, as he competes with himself to work a little harder than the day before, puts no boundaries on what's possible, and has never afraid to fail. Thank you, Sydney Crosby, for being such a fantastic ambassador for the sport of hockey, and to all the young players you regularly positively impact from both your on and off-ice lead by example approach to life. And thanks to all of you for stopping by. I'll see you next time.