Hockey confidence articles and sport psychology tips for hockey players, coaches, and sport parents to improve mental performance and consistency in hockey.
How Do You Negate Home-Ice Advantage? Many hockey players equate home-ice advantage with away-ice disadvantage. Imagine the impact on your mind, physiology, and performance when you are at a deficit before you even start a game. When you concede an advantage based on where the game is being played, you set a series of
Have You Heard the Phrase, “Good teams find a way to win”? On the surface, it may sound as if only talented teams win tough hockey games. However, the phrase really refers to mental toughness. The hallmark of mentally tough teams is their ability to adapt, overcome challenges, and execute under pressure. Sometimes, that
Recovering After a Bad Hockey Game There is one thing to be unhappy after a bad game, but elite hockey players take it a step further and do something about it. All hockey players are disappointed after a string of bad games. However, some players get trapped in their emotions. These players question their
Stay Mentally Energized During a Long Season Every athlete recognizes the importance of caring for their body, especially to meet the demands of a long hockey season. Athletes need water and recovery drinks to hydrate and replenish their bodies. Healthy foods and energy bars help fuel an athlete and maintain healthy body functioning. Some
Why Some Teams Fall Apart During Tough Games? Hockey games are often mini-dramas with ups and downs throughout the game. The flow of the game can change within moments. One minute, you are controlling the puck and attacking; the next, you are defending or playing chase. Teams that lack mental toughness feel overwhelmed and
Language has a Powerful Impact on Performance Can you recall times when your negative language decimated your confidence and hurt your play? Hockey players constantly hunt for strategies to build self-belief, which requires daily action and attention. However, it is also helpful to understand factors that detract from your confidence so you can avoid
Building Confidence in Hockey How do you feel after blowing a lead and losing a game? Do you question your abilities? Do you feel less confident about the next competition? What you tell yourself after a performance will impact your emotions and confidence. In addition, your thoughts about a recent performance will affect your
Self-Confidence in Hockey If you were to rate your confidence in hockey from 1-10, what score would you give yourself? Imagine how much different you would feel, think, act, and perform if you rated yourself one or two points higher. If you rated your confidence a 6-7, you would be somewhat confident heading into
Preparing for a Ready-To-Go Mindset Are you prepared to play when you are inserted in the line-up at the last minute? What is your mindset when you are told you are going to play an hour before the puck drops? If you are not prepared, anxiety can skyrocket when your coach suddenly tells you
Quick answer: To get out of a scoring drought, stop focusing on ending the scoring slump and focus on one shift or one play at a time. Look for scoring opportunities, stay patient and persistent, and leave missed attempts in the past. What to do When You’re in a Scoring Slump Sometimes, scoring a
How High Expectations Impact Your Confidence We know a strong relationship exits between high expectations and confidence. Having high expectations can affect your confidence–which I call the confidence-expectation connection. When you fail to reach your expectations, confidence can take a hit when you questions your ability. In addition, if you believe you cannot perform
The Negative Mindset of Trying to Do Too Much Struggling hockey players often try a common and counter-productive method to get back on track. The common response is to try to do too much. How can you do TOO MUCH you ask? Instead of trusting your ability to perform, you attempt to force play
Overcome Adversity In Hockey In sports, adversity can be a confidence-builder or a confidence-killer… It all depends on how you respond when adversity inevitably strikes. Adversity comes in many different forms: injury, demotion, performance slumps, criticism, failure to make a team, conflict with a coach, etc. Hockey Players Typically Respond to Adversity in One
How to Develop High Confidence in Hockey Confidence is a crucial element in peak performance. Confidence is the foundation in which all other mental skills build upon. For example, if you are not confident, you will not remain poised during critical moments of competitions… If you are not confident, you are prone to other
Confidence and Your Mental Game Would you characterize yourself as a confident hockey player? Are you able to execute players well even when playing in big games? Can your teammates rely on your play when the game is on the line? “Playing your game” requires that you believe in your abilities and have the
A “Playing to Win” Mindset in Hockey What does it mean in hockey to “play your game?” “Playing your game” simply put means taking advantage of your strengths and dictating the course of action on the ice. When you compete from your strengths, such as your stick-handling, you play to win as opposed to