Jamie Glance is tied for the NTDP lead in points. (USA Hockey)
Last summer, Jamie Glance read the book “Atomic Habits” by James Clear, and it changed the way he approached life at the U.S. National Team Development Program.
It provided a framework for building good habits and breaking bad ones, emphasizing incremental improvement. The main theme, as Glance put it, was “getting one percent better every day.” Typically, he doesn’t like to read; “Atomic Habits” provided Glance with a moment of self-realization — one he needed.
“Just knowing what I’m capable of, and knowing that’s not going to be my best game every single game,” Glance said. “Just staying with the mindset, staying positive with yourself, and knowing what you can do, I feel like that kind of helped me.”
Glance’s U-17 season at the NTDP was extremely taxing — physically and especially mentally — and he admitted that he wasn’t at his best. Tangible success was hard to come by for Glance, as he recorded just 29 points in 51 games as a 16-year-old. In his 15-U season at Mount St. Charles Academy, Glance exploded for 112 points in 58 games. It felt like a drop-off.