What a PWHL Agent Wants Every Girls Hockey Player to Know About Confidence
Krista Kerth grew up in a small Saskatchewan town of 800 people. Girls didn't play hockey there back then, but she grew up in the rink. After more than 20 years in marketing and advertising, including building personal brands for NHL players, her path changed in 2023 when Ella Shelton named her as her agent for the PWHL draft. Today Krista is the founder of LORA Athletes and a PWHLPA certified agent who represents 28 women. She also runs an advisory division with four-time Canadian Olympian Rebecca Johnston that helps young players find college opportunities.
On Episode 1 of the Made For More Podcast, she sat down with Shield founder Brandon Coccimiglio to talk about what separates the athletes who perform at the highest level, and what young players can learn from them. Here are three lessons every girls hockey player and parent should hear.
1. Stop comparing and find your hockey identity
Krista's first piece of advice for players is "figuring out what your identity is as a player and staying true to that." She sees the opposite all the time: "Especially in the game of girls hockey, there's a lot of comparison going on. This player got committed. I think I'm better than her, and why don't I have opportunities?"
"Everybody's path is different," she says. "When we compare and we try to be like everybody else, that's when we get lost in the shuffle." The pros she works with do it differently: "I think the ones that are successful aren't comparing themselves to others. They've found their uniqueness, they've found their secret sauce, and they've sort of leaned into that."
2. Just have fun, even in the biggest games
It sounds simple, and Krista admits it. But she has watched it play out at every level: "The players that we work with that are doing it because it's a game and they love it and it's fun are the ones that are successful. I see it with 13-year-olds and I see it with 28-year-olds."
She gives the same advice when the pressure is highest. "The final game of the Walter Cup finals, I will text my clients and say, just have fun." Her view is that "the players that take all of the outside noise away and just can focus on going out there and having a good time are the ones that find success."
3. Self-love isn't selfish
For Krista, looking after yourself is the base everything else is built on. "I can't show up for anyone else in my life if I'm not showing up for myself," she says. That means "making sure I'm eating right, getting my exercise. I will prioritize the gym before anyone else in my life," along with time outside in nature to reset.
Her message for athletes and parents: "Self-love isn't selfish. It's what's going to make you better." Or, as she put it to Brandon, it's "what's gonna make you prepared for more."
How we put this into practice at Shield
Krista believes "who you surround yourself with is most important." We build that kind of support around every athlete we train in Burlington:
Shield Hockey Club: year-round development in an environment where players can compete, have fun and grow at their own pace.
Personal Training for Athletes: one-on-one training built around each player's strengths, not anyone else's.
Nutrition for Performance: fuelling habits that help athletes show up for themselves first, on and off the ice.
Listen to the full episode
Hear Krista's full story, from a town of 800 people to a phone call from the GM of the New York Sirens, on the Made For More Podcast. Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Ready to help your player train with confidence? Email us to book an assessment.