KARL SUBBAN is the bestselling author of How We Did It: The Subban Plan for Success in Hockey, School and Life, speaker and award-winning educator. A school principal for many years, he is also a director of the Greater Toronto Hockey League and the Herbert H. Carnegie Future Aces Foundation. Subban was awarded an honorary doctorate of education by Lakehead University in 2022. He is a certified Maxwell speaker, coach and a trainer. His second book, The Hockey Skates was published in September 2023. Karl’s latest book, Raise Your Roof: The Hidden Power of Potential, will be published in April 2025. He lives in Toronto.
Speaking Topics
The Power of Potential
For more than three decades, Karl Subban has been honing his proven approach to building resilience, increasing perseverance, mastering goal setting—and bringing out the best in everyone. Every year we get bigger, but not necessarily better. Older, but not necessarily wiser. We’re not always set up for success, and despite our best efforts, we can get stuck in a place where we don’t think it’s possible to dream, let alone dream big. As a coach, educator, author and father, Subban knows that understanding and believing in our own potential are key to making changes that matter and bringing purpose to our lives and the lives of those around us. Packed with proven strategies including “raise their roof ” playbooks for leaders, parents and educators, Raise Your Roof is an inspiring and practical guide to creating meaningful change, realizing goals and finding fulfillment. The power of potential is at your starting line, not your finish line.
Developing Potential (Talk for educators)
Teachers plant seeds in the minds, bodies, and souls of young people and they don’t often see the fruits of their efforts. An example for me was Mr. Kangas, my very first teacher in Canada. He was the primary reason why I wanted to go to school. He pulled me up when I was feeling down and wasn’t aware of it until I wrote about him in my first book, How We Did It. He saw me, valued me and made me feel special. His impact on me helped me to identify the three vital qualities of effective teachers: know your students, care about your students, and inspire your students.
This keynote will explore two primary ways to empower growth in our student leaders:
- Creating a growth empowering environment
- Developing as a growth empowering leader
Potential is having the capacity to develop into something in the future. The potential of the school is directly related to the potential of the students and the staff. If we want better results, we must invest in young people.
It Always Seems Impossible Until It is Done (Talk for students)
This keynote, aimed at students, will focus on my journey, sharing stories and lessons learned working in my three worlds as an educator, hockey dad, and coach working with youth in several sports including coaching the men’s basketball team at George Brown College and being a hockey coach in the Greater Toronto Hockey League for approximately ten years.
My aim is to provide students with tools and framework to inspire them reach their unlimited potential.
Topics:
*Is your dream your dream?
*The power in your beliefs
*Facing and working through challenges and adversities
*Focusing on possibility not performance
*Using the 4 Ts to take effective action (Time, Task, Training, and Team)
*Navigating distractions
*Building confidence and overcoming fear and failure
*Are you teachable, coachable, and likable?
*Do you want to be good, or do you want to excel?
*You must FOCUS to make it.