THUNDER BAY - With three sons playing in the National Hockey League, Karl Subban has been called one of the greatest hockey dads in Canada. But for the father, teacher, and coach, being a hockey dad is not the reason for his children’s success; it all comes down to simply being a good dad.
“The one thing I learned, and a lot of parents will tell you this who have their kids in extra-curricular activities, is that our children need their dads and their moms a lot more than they need their hockey moms and hockey dads,” Subban said.
“Even though those roles are important, I never confused them, which one was most important and which one my children needed the most. They needed Karl Subban the dad, not always Karl Subban the hockey dad, even though that role was important.”
Subban returned to Thunder Bay this weekend to promote his new book co-authored with Scott Colby, How We Did It: The Subban Plan for Success in Hockey, School, and Life, with an event at the Prince Arthur Hotel Saturday night and a book signing at Chapters Sunday afternoon.
The book chronicles the experiences of Karl and his wife Maria coaching, teaching, and parenting their five children growing in up Canada.
Originally from Jamaica, Subban moved to Canada when he was 12-years-old. He first settled in Sudbury with his parents and eventually enrolled at Lakehead University where he played basketball and studied teaching. While he always had a passion for sports, he found his calling as a teacher and used his skills of inspiring others to help guide his children onto success.
His eldest son, P.K., is a Norris trophy winning defenseman who played for the Montreal Canadiens before being traded to the Nashville Predators. His son Malcom was drafted by the Boston Bruins, and Jordan by the Vancouver Canucks.
His daughters, Taz and Natasha, have also found success in teaching, with Taz having a successful university basketball career, and Natasha studying to become a visual artist.
“We didn’t start with a blueprint,” Subban said. “I want everyone to know that. No one gave us a 1-800 number when we left the hospital and they didn’t give us a manual. But a number of things I learned along the way, which I covered in the book. One is how we see our children. How we see our children determines how they see themselves. Potential is the lens through which we see our children.”
Subban said he wanted to share his story because he was often asked what his secret was – how he and Maria were able to raise such successful children.
For Subban, it’s not a simple question to answer because parenting is not easy, teaching is not easy, and learning is not easy. They all require a lot of hard work. And the only way to teach your children how to work hard and accomplish their dreams is by spending time with them.
“Time with them is what stays with them and what stays inside of them,” he said. “It influences them more than any other thing that we can do with them. Also love and emotional support. And I always say, if you love them, you have to discipline them and we disciplined them by helping to shape their will without destroying their spirit.”
The book is meant to encourage both parents and children to find something they love and pursue it, Subban said, while always seeing children through the lens of potential. And while Subban hopes that message will help readers achieve their goals, working on the book has changed him as well.
“It made me reflect and it made me a better parent, it made me a better educator, and I know it made me a better coach,” he said.
