--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If we're going to change the game it has…" description: "\"If we're going to change the game it has to start at eight, nine and 10 years old. When we were that age we'd go to the pond or backyard rink and throw..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd9/wayne-gretzky-4019_age_if-we-re-going-to-change-the-game-it-has_1971861.png" --- # If we're going to change the game it has to start at… ![“If we're going to change the game it has to start at eight, nine and 10 years old. When we were that age we'd go to the pond or backyard rink and throw a puck on the ice and play five on five, or seven on seven. You get this creativity and this imagination that comes from within, just having fun…” quote by Wayne Gretzky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd9/wayne-gretzky-4019_age_if-we-re-going-to-change-the-game-it-has_1971861.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd9/wayne-gretzky-4019_age_if-we-re-going-to-change-the-game-it-has_1971861.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd9/wayne-gretzky-4019_age_if-we-re-going-to-change-the-game-it-has_1971861.png) > “If we're going to change the game it has to start at eight, nine and 10 years old. When we were that age we'd go to the pond or backyard rink and throw a puck on the ice and play five on five, or seven on seven. You get this creativity and this imagination that comes from within, just having fun on the pond. Now kids are so focused on team play, and the coaches are so focused on positioning. You can't change it at the NHL level.” [Wayne Gretzky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-gretzky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Early play fosters creativity and imagination, which later structured training can suppress **In simple terms:** Play as kids builds imagination Key Takeaway Encourage unstructured play in youth sports Themes creativity imagination development sports coaching Mood nostalgic reflective Type advice observational When to use this quote - Youth hockey leagues - school recess - community ice rinks - family backyard games Key Concepts Play theory skill acquisition learning styles Questions to Reflect On - How can coaches integrate free play into practice? - What benefits does early unstructured play bring to adult performance? A Different Perspective Structured training may limit creative expression if not balanced ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Can't change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/can-t-change/) [Creativity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity/) [Focused](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focused/) [Fun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fun/) [Games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/games/) [Having fun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/having-fun/) [Hockey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hockey/) [Ice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ice/) [Imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination/) [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) [Nhl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nhl/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Team](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/team/) ## Related quotes > [I think that from the time you start playing sports as a child you see that your responsibility to your team is to play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-gretzky/i-think-that-from-the-time-you-start-playing-sports-as-a-child-you/) [Wayne Gretzky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-gretzky/) > [Just have fun. Smile. And keep putting on lipstick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-keaton/just-have-fun-smile-and-keep-putting-on-lipstick/) [Diane Keaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-keaton/) > [Just have fun and take every bit of experience that you can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perrie-edwards/just-have-fun-and-take-every-bit-of-experience-that-you-can/) [Perrie Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perrie-edwards/) > [But I'm just having fun playing and giving Botox injections to the older songs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-marx/but-i-m-just-having-fun-playing-and-giving-botox-injections-to-the/) [Richard Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-marx/) > [From our point of view, we're just curious, we're poking around and having fun. If it's science, if it's accurate, if it's not accurate,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-hyneman/from-our-point-of-view-we-re-just-curious-we-re-poking-around-and/) [Jamie Hyneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-hyneman/) > [ Apart from a couple that were just having fun with the concept and making fun of \[Donald\] Trump - like the one we did… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/apart-from-a-couple-that-were-just-having-fun-with-the-concept-and/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [I'm really into extreme sports and just having fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kellan-lutz/i-m-really-into-extreme-sports-and-just-having-fun/) [Kellan Lutz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kellan-lutz/) > [Just keep being true to yourself, if you're passionate about something go for it. Don't sacrifice anything, just have fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-lewis/just-keep-being-true-to-yourself-if-you-re-passionate-about-something/) [Blake Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-lewis/) > [I'm just having fun. And giving a sort of second shot at childhood and life - and I need to be present to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-bullock/i-m-just-having-fun-and-giving-a-sort-of-second-shot-at-childhood-and/) [Sandra Bullock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-bullock/) > [I visualize my hand raised at the end, and every thing in between is just having fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-penne/i-visualize-my-hand-raised-at-the-end-and-every-thing-in-between-is/) Jessica Penne > [Even if the absence of evidence for a given god were not evidence of its absence, it would still be evidence that the belief…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-clifton/even-if-the-absence-of-evidence-for-a-given-god-were-not-evidence-of/) [Scott Clifton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-clifton/) > [Ever since I was a kid, I just loved those comedians on TV who would just have fun with the language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-rudolph/ever-since-i-was-a-kid-i-just-loved-those-comedians-on-tv-who-would/) [Alan Rudolph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-rudolph/) > [I think the way to become the best is to just have fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-white/i-think-the-way-to-become-the-best-is-to-just-have-fun/) [Shaun White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-white/) > [I'm a great believer in life to saying yes and not saying no, and hopefully making people smile and just having fun in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/i-m-a-great-believer-in-life-to-saying-yes-and-not-saying-no-and/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [I'm just having fun making jokes and writing books. 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I say, 'If they weren't, I'd get in more of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-gretzky/sometimes-people-ask-are-hockey-fights-real-i-say-if-they-weren-t-i-d/) [Wayne Gretzky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-gretzky/) > [The game is played out of instinct, but everyone on the ice has habits - good and bad. So the key to the game…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-gretzky/the-game-is-played-out-of-instinct-but-everyone-on-the-ice-has-habits/) [Wayne Gretzky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-gretzky/) > [Lifting the Stanley Cup for the first time. There's nothing like it. It's the greatest story. In my era, they used to say you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-gretzky/lifting-the-stanley-cup-for-the-first-time-there-s-nothing-like-it-it/) [Wayne Gretzky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-gretzky/) > [Nothing can replace the Olympics. I love the Olympics. 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I had a guy once who said he played against me in novice \[league, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-gretzky/i-have-recall-i-don-t-know-why-or-how-i-had-a-guy-once-who-said-he/) [Wayne Gretzky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-gretzky/) > [Everything I did in hockey, I worked for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-gretzky/everything-i-did-in-hockey-i-worked-for/) [Wayne Gretzky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-gretzky/) > [In one sense we are a favorite because we won a gold medal in 2002.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-gretzky/in-one-sense-we-are-a-favorite-because-we-won-a-gold-medal-in-2002/) [Wayne Gretzky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-gretzky/) > [Most players go where the puck is. 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