Mental toughness is an area that most athletes don't work on. Hockey players work their shot, their hands, cardio, foot speed, systems and a myriad of other physiological traits. Many don't work their psyche, and a strong mind is the key to working everything else effectively.
Mental Toughness
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Desire - The Need to Succeed
Where
do you fit into this spectrum of desire? Well, to find out, consider
the following self-assessment scale. Level of Desire Scale
0 percent: I won't.
10 percent: I can't.
20 percent: I don't know how.
30 percent: I wish I could.
40 percent: What is it?
50 percent: I think I might.
60 percent: I might.
70 percent: I think I can.
80 percent: I can.
90 percent: I will.
95 percent: I did it.
100 percent: I did it and I know I can do it again, only this time, even better!
Mental Imagery
Mental
Rehearsal: This is almost as important as practicing the action itself.
The brain patterns during mental rehearsal of an action are the same as
those when preparing for the action before the motor skill is selected,
so the more you mentally rehearse a shot, the quicker and easier it
will be to prepare to carry out the shot.
Proper Preparation
Pay
attention to how you prepare for each game, especially when you play
well. Competing in athletic contests can often be a matter of routine,
and anything you can do to keep that routine similar from game to game,
especially when you have played well, can help.
Follow the same pre-game routines, think about the same type of things,
relax but focus on the game at hand. Most importantly, learn to
visualize what you are going to be doing in the game, always seeing
yourself being successful.
Nervousness
The
main reason that players don't perform well in games is nervousness,
and the main cause of nervousness is lack of self confidence.
You have to believe that you can play with the people on the ice and
not get intimidated. You must believe that no one on the ice is better
than you.
Have a good attitude. Believe in yourself.
Improve everyday!
Strive
to improve everyday... both physically and mentally. Play against
players that are better than you...that's how you get better. Learn
from TV and watch instructional videos to learn even more. Never stop
learning!
Believe
Always believe in yourself. If you think you can't do it, you aren't
going to . When shooting, believe its going in and it will have a
better a chance.
Inferior opponents
When
playing against teams or players who are not quite as talented, it is
important to play at YOUR best. Do not drop your level of play simply
to defeat the opponent. Compete against your own personal best every
time out, and try to achieve that.
Confidence in Shooting
A
shooter needs to have confidence. One good way to give yourself
confidence is to concentrate on 1 spot of the net and shoot for it.
This gives you a large margin of error to work with.
Skate On and Off
Always
skate on and off the ice for a line change, or a time out.
Psychologically, you are showing your opponent that you won't wear
down. The Detroit Red Wings with Scotty Bowman would skate just as hard
for a line change as they would on the ice during their shift in order
to appear fresh to their opponents.
Original Article can be found at LifeTips.com
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