Josef Kubinec was never a star athlete. He had a normal childhood and wasn't big into sports. He played because his friends played but he didn't have a lot of motivation. This trait would follow him into the SHL initially. He didn't pick up a stick until he was fifteen, opting to play soccer before that. He knew how to skate but not how to play hockey but he really took to it once he got going. He soon surpassed his other friends and decided to make a go of it. He had moderate success but never took his training seriously. He got by on natural talent rather than practice. This made him the envy of players more passionate than him and it really frustrated his coaches. That's kind of been Josef's life though. He was content to just get by, settle for a B when he could have gotten an A with some effort. He knew he would have to put in some effort if he was going to make it in the sport though.