7 Habits of High Performing Hockey Players
7 Habits of High Performing Hockey Players
Success leaves clues. If you want to be exceptional, find out what the best of the best do, and learn from them. We’ll cover clues that success leaves and the habits of high performing hockey players including:
1. Own Your Development
For Super Dave, he had no path and no guidance. He was simply bored and practiced shots, but didn’t have a plan to own his hockey development.
Are you in the same position? Have you had success from trial and error and developed over time?
Most players will experiment, but that process might take a long time. With MTT, you have a blueprint that speeds up that process. You can improve on your own, or you can get better more quickly with a coach who knows what he’s doing and giving you feedback. High-level athletes own their development. They aren’t waiting for a parent or coach to tell them what to work on; they take responsibility. But is something holding you back from owning your development?
2. Have an Opportunity Growth Mindset
With a growth mindset, you believe that talent can be developed if you work hard, stick with it, and train. It’s about viewing challenges as an opportunity. It’s wanting to be the best version of yourself and taking steps to improve continuously.
No matter how confident they become, highly-confident hockey players always respect those around them, listen to their constructive criticism, and use it as a chance to improve.
Every ounce of feedback—no matter how big or small—is a chance to grow and improve.
Your coaching staff, your parents, your teammates may not always be right, but if they share feedback with you, it’s worth your while to listen. If several people notice a part of your game that needs work, chances are it does. And then that feedback becomes another opportunity to learn, get better, and continue to improve.
3. Play With Vision and Clarity
High-level athletes have a vision of where they want to be, and that vision shapes their actions.
There are so many distractions out there, from social media to peer pressure. Do you have the vision and clarity to maintain your focus during practice and games?
For Super Dave, he didn’t want to stay in his hometown; he wanted to do something bigger. He realized that hockey could be the vehicle to reach his goal for something bigger.
Part of having a vision for high-level athletes is having clarity in their purpose and in the way they want to play. They know where they’re headed.
When you’re training and playing, high-performing hockey players’ efforts are deliberate because they have a vision of something in the future. They don’t go out to practice and go through motions; they’re intentional and purposeful.
4. Focus
There is a long term process to focus over time, and high-level athletes have a plan staying focused on the present. By having a plan and practicing to keep their minds where it needs to be, players’ plans become part of who they are. After practicing, they know how to respond when they get distracted.
Hockey players should learn to tune out distractions and perform irrespective of the crowd’s response. Players must be able to focus on finishing the game in a professional manner and not let past upsets get in the way of upcoming games. Additionally, players don’t fixate on recent wins. They constantly are evolving and moving forward with a focus on executing all the techniques and skills that were taught in previous practices.
5. Manage Emotions
Top hockey players know how to manage their emotions and bring their minds back to productive emotions and recharging during a tough time.
As a hockey player, emotions are powerful; you want to harness them. Use them; don’t lose them.
When we have low emotional intelligence, we’re blinded by emotions and reacting to what happens around us. But, if you take a step back, you can see your emotions and all the things around you – the puck, the play, the players. You don’t want to be blinded by your emotions; you want to learn to recognize them.
Are you a slave to your emotions? Here are 6 warning signs you might be.
6. Develop Confidence
True confidence — compared to the false confidence people project to mask their insecurities — has a look all its own. Mentally tough players have the upper hand over the players who feel overwhelmed with doubt because their confidence inspires others and helps them to make things happen.
7. Prepare and Plan
High performing hockey players know that having a plan and preparing before they step onto the ice are the best ways to be the best version of themselves.
From putting in work in the gym and on the ice to working on their hockey sense and improving your mental game, the more players prepare, the more ready they feel to perform.
By doing everything possible to prepare for the struggles and challenges ahead, you’ll be much more confident in any given situation.
There you have it: 7 of the most common habits of high performing hockey players. By intentionally adding these habits to your routine, you will develop a clear, effective, and evidence-based mental preparation plan for your long-term development and game-time execution.
Plan To Win
Plan To Win
Several years ago I was on the bench coaching my team, and I screamed
“Shoot!”
But the young, athletic, fully-aware player did not shoot the puck.
The whistle blew, and the player came to the bench, and I asked him why he didn’t shoot the puck. He shrugged his shoulders and said, “I don’t know.”
I reflected on that moment for weeks, because I knew the player had the ability, I knew he had great hockey IQ, he was a leader on the team, respected in the locker room, and he knew it was the right decision for that moment. Yet he didn’t shoot the puck. He didn’t shoot the puck… for weeks I wrestled with understanding his response.
Why didn’t he shoot the puck?
As I was raking leaves in my backyard, reflecting, doing my gap analysis(debrief). It hit me. It was a bad expectation. I didn’t put him in a proper training scenario throughout the weeks leading up to that moment.
It was I, the fearless, experienced coach who has been around hockey for three decades, played pro, and coached for over 15 years. I was the coach who planned the practice each week and talked to parents weekly about their child’s development.
Yes, it was on me!
I didn’t set the pace in practice leading up to that moment. I had asked the player an unfair question and put unreasonable expectations on him. He didn’t shoot because he wasn’t trained!
That revelation was so exciting! So, in the days to come, I began to unpack the situation. He did not perform in that moment because he was not prepared to win. My expectation did not meet his practice repetition – which I control – routine, and overall preparedness. My question was unfair.
As I continued to reflect on that unfair moment, I realized that I was the one who needed to be a better leader. And being a better leader didn’t mean putting more pressure on my players to play better or “dig deeper”. In fact, asking more out of my players was being extremely insensitive and poor coaching. They didn’t have the training to play at the upper ranges of their ability in the biggest moments because of me.
How dare I put this kind of pressure on them!
Honestly, I felt ashamed. I apologized to the players and parents, and then I went to work!
I realized I needed to set better expectations for myself and my team. This means I need to understand what I wanted the team and individual players to become, I needed to set the vision, mission, and communicate with them their role on the team. I wanted them to compete, so I needed to set the competition tone in the practice plans, I need to show them on video what it means to compete and never give up. I needed to set the pace in all areas of what I wanted them to do show them, practice with them, and repeat the process…I need to lead at a granular level with a tremendous amount of repetition, and I knew I needed to make if fun.
If I wanted my defense to move the puck north, and south then I needed to show them. We should practice moving the puck north and south; and then show them video of pro players moving the puck north and south; then practice it again and again; and talk to them outside the rink before practice and after practice about their concerns.
Whatever skills I wanted them to develop, as a coach I needed to give them opportunities to learn, practice, and perfect those skills, so that they could perform consistently when they’re under pressure. Once the consistency was there I began to slowly add different types of pressure
When I thought about my goals for the team, I wanted them to become the best version of themselves; I wanted them to be confident, I wanted them to have a routine, and most importantly, I wanted them to have fun.
With my goals in mind, I wanted to help my players for a plan for everything: mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual. A plan that helped my players have a vision, manage their emotions by zone, have confidence, and use their five senses. A plan to help them deal with doubt, anxiety, and fear. I knew we both needed targets for practice, a plan for adversity, I knew we both needed a post-game and practice debrief time and venue. Ultimately we needed a plan.
I knew if I wasn’t willing to put these pieces in place, then I could never put any expectations on my players and team.
I realized I couldn’t just say, “Why are you not mentally prepared?” or “Hey, you need to come to the rink in better metabolic conditioning?” or “You need to skate faster!” or throw out bombshell insults like “dig deeper, you are soft, or step up when the going gets tough”
How could I put those expectations on a player when there is no plan?
It’s unfair and disrespectful to players and parents, so I rolled up my sleeves and started asking questions
I researched and asked questions to nutritional professionals. I started asking questions to my Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialists (CSCS) friends about proper conditioning. And I started asking questions to people smarter than me about hockey.
And I think most importantly, I began to ask mental preparation and toughness questions to sports psych professionals. I had a path, and I was super pumped about it.
Preparing my players and team to play at the upper ranges of their ability consistently in the biggest moment was going to take more focused development on my part. Yes, my players need to buy in and work hard, but I realized all the heavy lifting was on me, their coach.
Improving Your Performance with Music
Improving Your Performance with Music
Listening to music doesn’t just relieve boredom — it can help improve the quality of your performance. Music can transform how you feel about training and what you get out of it. Here are 5 ways music can help you become the best version of yourself during a workout.
Increase Speed
Have you ever started listening to a song that makes you want to dance? Most people have an instinct to synchronize their movements to the music they’re listening to, from a simple head nod to a tap of the toes. You can sync your activity with the music you listen to.
By listening to an upbeat song, you can pick up your pace, whether you’re riding a bike, walking around your neighborhood, or completing intense conditioning. Even if you aren’t matching your movement precisely to the beat, you’ll still go faster to more energetic music.
Mood Booster
Not only is exercise going to feel easier when you listen to music, but you’re also going to enjoy it more! This is true no matter the speed of the music – play the music you like, and you’ll have a better time! The lyrics or catchy rhythm of mood-boosting music inspires you to exercise longer or work harder during your exercise routine.
More Power
No matter what activity you’re doing, music’s impact can be felt whether you’re doing cardio or resistance work. Researchers found that people who played music during strength training were able to squat jump with more force and velocity than the people who didn’t listen to music. What’s something you’re practicing that could use more power? Add some upbeat music next time and feel the difference.
Motivation
Feel like you’re out of energy? Ready to give up? When you play music before and during a workout can put you in the right mindset and boost the odds of you performing well. Listening to a song that has a strong, steady beat, you can train to the beat of that music, which tends to feel satisfying and encourage you to push through and exercise more.
Workouts Feel Easier
Playing music makes strenuous physical activities less exhausting. Why not harness the power of music when you exercise? Studies have found that if music is playing, your workout will feel easier, even if you’re pushing yourself harder than usual. The theory is that your brain has limited attention, and music is taking up some of that, you have less to devote to how tough the workout feels.
Picking Your Playlist
Scientific studies suggest that the ideal range of music tempo for exercise is 125 to 140 beats per minute. No matter the style or inspiration, music at specific beats per minute can influence and athlete in a 15% increase or decrease in performance.
Looking for a head start on your playlist? We’ve got you covered. Check out MTT’s Training Playlist below.
6 Warning Signs You're A Slave to Your Emotions
6 Warning Signs You're A Slave to Your Emotions
“I don’t want to be at the mercy of my emotions. I want to use them, to enjoy them and to dominate them.” Oscar Wilde.
It is very natural to be self-centered, especially when you are mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually depleted. Our emotions have a significant impact and power over our choices and actions, and we can either become a master or a slave to them.
When you’re a slave to your emotions, you live in the now, see issues through the lens of yourself, are not rational, and are generally not pleasant to be around.
Here are 6 warning signs that you have become a slave to your emotions. If any of these 6 items apply to you, then it may be time to make adjustments to how you are thinking and reacting to certain situations.
1. You rarely think about others and only think about your own concerns and interests
Though this may come and goes in phases, but you generally only think about how situations affect you and your life. You are easily angered and have never heard of the word empathy– and certainly, don’t understand its definition.
2. You rarely think before you speak
First of all, speaking the first things that come to mind is a terrible idea. Validate your emotions first, before you speak. Use the acronym H.A.L.T. If you are hungry, angry, lonely, or tired, you are more likely to be a slave to your emotions and say or do something you might regret. When you validate your emotions, you become more aware and accepting of them. Becoming aware of thinking before you speak is the first step in becoming a master of our emotions.
3. You campaign to get people on your side when you immediately speak your mind
When you immediately speak your mind, you may feel amazing, but you also may have remorse for days following your outburst. Extreme levels of regret is often a sign that you are a slave to your emotions, and it’s a coping mechanism to recruit a friend or family member to relate to your side of the story. When you are slave to your emotions, you frequently act in ways that let yourself down. To make matters worse, you tend to drag a friend down with you, because being insecure is a lonely place.
4. Your actions don’t help your situation or the people around you
In a sporting environment, everything intensifies. Emotional slavery ends up manifesting in ways that spread their negative emotions to others like a virus. When you do not act with responsibility, there is shame, anxiety, and stress. Your loved ones are left with a wake of devastation, and you become hard to manage and generally don’t feel good. Fear, lust, anger, and pride rise up as defensive mechanisms. Id, ego, and superego are on red alert.
5. You are stressed and have trouble sleeping
Emotional slavery is exhausting. Feelings of regret and shame are by-products of the sympathetic nervous system and brain waves creating energy. The fight-or-flight response of the sympathetic nervous system creates energy, and this energy to fight or flight keeps you up at night. Thus, thinking about how to solve your regret keeps you up at night. Sometimes emotional slavery is not knowing how to express yourself at all and just suppressing your emotions. This also contributes to stress and lack of sleep.
If you often toss and turn at night, unsatisfied with your relationships with those around you, it may indicate that you need to communicate your emotions with them in a healthy manner.
Becoming a master of your emotions doesn’t mean you are stoic or emotionless – it means you know how to communicate your emotions in a constructive situation that’s productive for both parties. Without a healthy and balanced method of expression, there will be emotional residue at the end of the day, from either too much or too little expression of how you feel.
6. You take criticism as a personal attack and don’t like change
Ineffective and effective behavior happens every second of every day. Everyone is susceptible to becoming a slave to their emotions. The only perfect person to walk this planet was Jesus, and you are not Him.
Becoming a master to your emotions requires change. Becoming a master to your emotions requires you to embrace faith, let go of some of your fears, not react so quickly to situations, and have increased levels of empathy and awareness. If you don’t take every situation personally and you embrace change, your outbursts will become less frequent and less intense.
One central concept in emotional intelligence is finding a balance between your rational and thinking mind vs. your impulsive and feeling mind. When you learn how to use both of these appropriately, then you have mastered our emotions, instead of being enslaved to them.
Are you a slave to your emotions? Will you respond differently now that you know what it means to be slave to your emotions?
“Control the young thoughts and become a master of your emotions” Dave Jones, Sports Psychology Coach
Brady the Hot Head
Brady the Hot Head
We have all heard coaches say, “You need to be more mentally prepared for the game.”
What exactly does that mean? How do you prepare for your game 7 days prior to game day, 3 days prior, or on game day?
The following provides all the tools necessary to become mentally prepared for every game this season.
Playing competitive hockey requires a high level of Emotional Intelligence (EI). Maintaining a high EI requires mental toughness and hockey intelligence on and off the ice. Most of us have witnessed a player making a decision to be hockey tough for the team or their ego. Without high EI, these hard decisions will often do more harm than good for the individual and the team’s emotional state.
A key to playing tough, smart, and maintaining high EI is having focus, discipline, and emotional control. Emotional control and discipline go hand in hand.
We have all experienced or watched this story:
Brady had played hockey his whole life. He was not a fast defenseman, but he had great positioning and a hard slap shot. Everyone liked Brady but sometimes (when we were losing, didn’t matter if it was the 1st or 3rd period) he would get of out of control, slashing or punching players that would get close to his goaltender. Brady looked like he was in control, but as the conflict and pressure got tougher, he would start to lose it. Brady would consistently get penalties, game after game. In the 1st period of the game, his team was down 2-0. Brady was slashed in front of his own net, and he retaliated. Off to the box, as parents and fans sigh, “Brady is going to the box…again.”
One minute into Brady’s penalty, the other team scores on a power-play goal. Brady took two strides out of the penalty box and starts chirping the ref for helping the other team score. The ref doesn’t tolerate the chirping and Brady goes right back into the penalty box for 10-minute misconduct. Brady is officially in a Low EI state. Three shifts after Brady is out from his misconduct he gets another penalty. This time, he snaps and starts punching a player. Now he is in the sin bin for a five-minute major. The team is not in a position to win, and Brady has lost all control as he cements his Low EI state. High EI means not allowing your emotions( Right Brain) to override your focus (Left Brain).
Playing hockey with High EI means we are playing unselfish hockey. It means we are team-focused, practicing self-discipline, and doing what is in the best interest of the team. Real strength means not responding to every bad call by the ref or getting upset with the coach because you are not on the PK or PP. Being mentally strong requires a clear focus and actions of purpose, emotional intelligence, and hockey intelligence. Being mentally strong means you are in control of your emotions. High EI helps teams win games in the face of challenges and adversity. You are not the challenge and adversity; rather, you can be the blessing in a challenge or adversity. When confronted with emotions such as negativity, frustration, or anger, you have the choice of maintaining focus on the right hockey play and controlling your emotions to be hockey tough.
So, how do you become mentally tough? It all starts with proper mental preparation. Let’s begin to untangle how to mentally prepare by evaluating weekly routines and rituals leading up to game day.