Written by Tammy Appleton
August 18, 2025
The 5 AM Wake-Up Call That Changed Everything
Last Tuesday, I got a text at 5:47 AM from Sarah, mom of a 14-year-old hockey player:
“I’m sitting in my car crying in the rink parking lot. Again. I don’t know how much more of this I can take.”
Sound familiar?
When “Doing Everything Right” Feels All Wrong
Sarah had been following every piece of advice she’d been given. Private coaching twice a week. Strength training. Tournament travel every weekend.
Her son was improving, sure but she was dying inside.
The breaking point? When she realised she hadn’t had a real conversation with her kid in three weeks. Every exchange had become about hockey:
-
“Did you eat enough protein?”
-
“What did coach say?”
-
“Why didn’t you get more ice time?”
That’s when it hit her: the sport they loved had taken over their entire relationship.
Here’s what I told Sarah and what I wish someone had told me before I burned out my own family chasing the “right” path:
Excellence without joy is just expensive suffering.
The Pre-season Ritual That Actually Works
Instead of adding MORE to your already overwhelming schedule, what if you started with intention?
What if you protected what matters most BEFORE the season swallows you whole?
Here’s the 3-step reset that saved Sarah’s sanity (and her relationship with her son):
Step 1: The Family Mission Statement
Sit down together and finish this sentence:
“This season, we want to feel _____ at the end of every week.”
Not achieve.
Not win.
Feel.
Connected? Proud of effort? Excited for the next challenge?
Write it down. Put it on the fridge. Let it guide you.
Step 2: The Non-Negotiable List
What are 3 things you refuse to sacrifice this season?
-
Family dinner twice a week?
-
Sunday morning pancakes?
-
Your daughter’s art class?
These aren’t “nice to haves.” They’re your lifeline when everything else gets crazy.
Step 3: The Energy Audit
Before you sign up for one more clinic, camp, or extra session, ask:
“Does this move us toward our mission, or away from it?”
If it’s away, it’s a no. Even if everyone else is doing it.
Three weeks after implementing this reset, Sarah texted me again.
Her son had just made JV, but that wasn’t the best part.
“We had the best car ride home from practice yesterday. We were actually laughing.”
And that? That’s what winning really looks like.
Takeaway
Start strong, yes but with balance, joy, and connection. Because the real victory isn’t in the stats. It’s in the relationship you protect along the way.