Mental game of hockey articles and sport psychology tips for hockey players, coaches, and sport parents to improve mental performance and consistency in hockey.
Keeping Your Composure After Mistakes Starting off a season on the wrong foot can set a negative tone and generate a sense of frustration over the next several games. Sometimes hockey players get that feeling there is nothing they can do to stop the bleeding of bad play. One thing goes wrong, then another,
Do you Struggle to Play Mentally Tough Hockey? Have you played in an important hockey game where you were so afraid to mess up that you played less than your best? Most coaches and athletes talk about the benefits of mental toughness. But most coaches and athletes have difficulty identifying how to achieve mental
Managing Your Emotions With Mental Toughness How do you respond during a hockey game when the puck is not bouncing your way? When you do not have your “A” game, can you still find a way to win? It requires mental toughness to manage your emotions when things are not going your way. I’m
Focusing on Beating The Odds How do you play when your team is facing elimination from a tournament? Do you become preoccupied with the possibility of being eliminated or are you able to maintain a fighting spirit? Have you played in a tournament when your team had “their backs against the wall” facing elimination?
Mental Toughness to Play Under Pressure How do you respond under pressure? When the game is on the line, do you want to be on the ice or would you rather someone else be playing during the deciding moments of a game? Playing your best hockey under pressure requires “mental toughness.” Mentally tough hockey
What Makes Up a Strong Mental Game? Would you rather be a favorite to win or be the underdog–heading into a championship game? Being favored implies you have more ability than your opponent and, let’s be honest… Who wouldn’t want to have more natural talent? Unfortunately, more ability doesn’t guarantee victory. Winning is a
Your Pregame Level of Intensity On October 29th the Philadelphia Flyers fought back to win “The Battle of Pennsylvania,” 3-2 over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Pittsburgh dominated the first period leading to 1-0 Penguin lead. The Flyers looked flat on the ice, and forward Danny Carcillo knew that something was missing. “In the first period
Trying to Live Up to Expectations Sidney Crosby is one of the most electric young athletes in sports. After being selected first overall in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins, hockey fans expected Crosby to make an immediate impact on the league. Early in his career Crosby felt pressure to meet
Overcoming Intimidation in Hockey Intimidation is a common mental barrier for hockey players. When you intimidate yourself (also called self-intimidation), you make comparisons to your opponents or teammates. You make negative comparisons or think about how you’re not as good, fast or strong as your teammates or competitors. This can make you feel inferior
Momentum and Confidence in Hockey After beating the San Jose Sharks 4-2 to clench their spot in the Stanley Cup Finals, the Chicago Blackhawks are building on their confidence and momentum. The Blackhawks face the Philadelphia Flyers. An important ingredient to the Blackhawks’s success is their ability to capitalize on their wins. Sometimes you
How Confidence Affects Your Game Plan Game plans are important for any team. Some teams base their game plans on their teams’ strengths. What can your team do well with the players you have? Some teams perform well on power plays, while other teams have great defense. Teams can also develop their game plan
The Ultimate Sports Parent Radio Show at www.youthsportspsychology.com interviews Steve Shapiro, coach for the Phoenix Mustangs, a non-profit youth hockey organization. Steve Shapiro discusses the challenges young athletes and parents face with playing time and how parents and players should discuss playing time with their coach. Mental game coach Dr. Patrick Cohn provides commentary. Listen to the
Do You Trust Your Skill Come Game Time? Your mental game of hockey helps you balance both learning skills and performing in competition. Do you have trouble bringing your practice game skills to competition? Many hockey players tighten up, over think and try too hard during competition, which can cause them to under-perform. You practice countless hours to
Momentum Changes in Hockey Momentum is critical to your hockey team’s success. When your team feels like you’ve got momentum, you feel everything going for you. Your team can’t make a bad play or miss a shot on goal. You play fearlessly. Momentum in hockey keeps your confidence high and the puck out of
Embracing The Pregame Jitters Most every competitive hockey player experiences what I think are positive pregame jitters – the feelings of excitement or intensity prior to a hockey game. Some hockey players experience more than just jitters; they under perform due to performance anxiety – a sinking feeling in the pit of their stomach. Pregame
How Do Hockey Players Develop Confidence? Every successful professional player in the NHL has an enormous amount of self-confidence in his ability. The million-dollar question is “How do you become confident and keep your confidence even in the face of adversity?” Confidence is the belief in your ability and it can include two areas: