• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Hockey Mental Game

Mental Toughness Strategies for Hockey Players, Coaches, & Parents

  • Home
  • About
    • Sitemap
  • Free Tips
    • Articles
    • Videos
    • Free Report
  • Mental Coaching
  • Products
  • Contact Us

Improving Your Mental Toughness in Hockey

May 31, 2018 By Patrick Cohn Leave a Comment

Better Mental Game

Why Andre Burakovsky Needs a Better Mental Game

Do you have high expectations for your performance?

Are you self-critical?

Do you sit on a mistake too long and bring it with you to the next shift or play?

Andre Burakovsky, a Capitals forward has zero points in six postseason games.

After the last home game, Andre opened up about the mental game challenges he’s facing. He admitted that he’s “very hard on himself and focuses too much on bad or failed plays.”

Andre mentioned that he got upset with himself in the last home game because he didn’t execute the plays he wanted to. He said:

“Obviously when you get frustrated with yourself like that, that’s when you put yourself in a bad position. I think I just need to stay calm here and just forget about the last shift and focus on the next one.”

Further commenting on his mental game struggles, Andre stated:

“I’ve always been really hard on myself and I’m probably always going to be. Ever since I was a kid I had high expectations of myself and I just think I have to get rid of that a little bit… there’s always that next shift coming up. It’s kind of my problem. I think when I’m doing something bad, I’m thinking about it for a long time and it sits in my head. I’m going to work a lot over the summer to get rid of that.”

Andre recently hired a sports psychologist, recommended by past and present teammates, to help him park his high expectations and play each shift at a time.

The Capitals forward recognized the impact of his mental game on his performance and is now taking action to improve his mental toughness.

Similar to Andre Burakovsky, many athletes have high expectations of themselves, are self-critical after performance, and struggle to move on after mistakes or bad plays.

Also, like Andre, this may hold you back…

One of the most important steps to building your mental strength and being successful as an athlete is to manage your expectations.

With high, strict expectations, you become judgmental and self-critical of your performance. When you judge your performance harshly, your confidence takes a hit.

Additionally, there’s no way you can focus in the moment and play in the present while thinking about the last mistake or shift.

Immediately let go of the mistake you made and refocus by thinking of what you have to do next. What you want to do to during the next shift.

Managing expectations and letting go of the past are two critical factors at being successful in your sport.

Like Andre, they could be holding you back.

If you want to improve your mental toughness, learn more about our mental training programs for hockey players:


Boost Your Self-Confidence And Focus With Expert Mental Game Coaching!

If you’re a top performer during practice but find yourself under-performing in competition, the most likely culprit holding you back is your mental game.

Master mental game coach Dr. Patrick Cohn can help you overcome your mental game issues with one-on-one personal mental game coaching.

You can work with Dr. Patrick Cohn himself in Orlando, Florida or via Skype, FaceTime, or telephone. Call us toll free at 888-742-7225 or contact us for more information about the different coaching programs we offer!

What are our mental game coaching students, parents and coaches saying?

“The resources that you have available on your website have been wonderful. A sound mental game may be more important then the actual physical part of the sport. Yes you have to have the talent, but the mental game is what sets apart a very good athlete compared to an elite athlete. Thanks again.”
~Darren Hughesman

“I coach 2002’s at a AA level. I’m convinced that half of them are held back more by their minds than their bodies, maybe more than half. I like your 10 costly mistakes players make. The language is targeted at older kids, but the ideas are simple enough to convey to younger players. I’ll be using some of this for our game this afternoon!”
~Steve Taylor, Hockey Coach

“Peaksports.com web site is so exciting. I researched them all and without a doubt your mental training site is the best! The vast amount of programs you provide helps athletes and coaches achieve higher levels of excellence in sports.”
~Doug Bolander, Hockey Coach

“Great stuff on the hockey psychology report! Thank you very much for sharing. We are going to go through the report tonight at practice. Keep up the awesome work.”
~Sean Woodhouse (Coach Woody)

Share on FacebookShare on Google+Tweet about this on TwitterShare on LinkedInPin on Pinterest

Filed Under: Hockey Psychology Articles Tagged With: High Expectations in Hockey, mental toughness in hockey

COMPLEMENTARY 15-MINUTE MENTAL TRAINING SESSION

Do you want to learn how your athlete can benefit from mental coaching?

Call or Email Us Today for a Free 15-Minute Sample Session.

Toll-Free: 888-742-7225 | Local: 407-909-1700

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Hockey Psychology Report

Hockey Psychology Tips

Hockey Mental Game Articles

  • Mental Preparation for Travel Hockey
  • How to Respond after Being Benched
  • How to Develop a Teamwork Mindset in Hockey
  • How to Get Beyond Plateaus in Hockey
  • How Adam Brady Stays Motivated During the Pandemic
  • Take Action to Prepare for Next Hockey Season
  • How to Maintain your Edge in Hockey Without Formal Practice
  • How Hockey Players Cope with Difficult Conditions
  • Hockey Players That Worry Too Much
  • When Pushing Athletes to Excel Turns into Pressure
  • How to Take Mental Skills to Hockey Games
  • How to Improve Consistency on the Ice

Hockey Mental Game Categories

Partner Links

  • Baseball Mental Game Tips

Top Mental Game Mistakes

Hockey Psychology Report

Footer CTA

Connect with Us!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

Copyright © 2021 | Hockey Confidence by Peak Performance Sports | Privacy Policy