Into Kendall Coyne’s Mind…gaining the mental edge!

Pre-game preparation or social hour? Many players choose the latter and their on-ice performance suffers.  Elite level players understand the importance of establishing a game-day ritual and sticking to it.

I recently chatted with Kendall Coyne , who has already garnered two world championships at the U18 level (2008, 2009), about her pre-game routine and how she is preparing to shoot for her 3rd straight Gold Medal at the 2010 IIHF World Women’s U18 Championships being held in Chicago at the end of this month. She reported going through the following routine prior to every game:

1. Shut my phone off two hours before game time
2. 30-45 min nap
3. Watch Pavel Datsyuk before I head to the rink
4. Warm up with the team
5. Foam roll my legs and back before I put my gear on
6. Listen to my IPOD and my Game Day playlist
7. Always focus on the game and see myself making a play or something.

In her words, “As I prepare for worlds I focus every lift and every practice on doing what it will take to get gold. I am fortuante enough to be practicing at the rink in which worlds will be held at so every time I go to the rink I treat it like it is day one of the tournament”.

If you speak with any elite or pro player, I am sure they could recite a similar pre-game ritual.  In order to develop a sound game plan you need to target 5 essential components. These include physical, nutritional, tactical, mental and emotional factors.

EXACT Sports studies the importance of the mental and emotional state of the athlete and the resultant effects on performance. Becoming mentally prepared for each game helps relax the pre-game jitters, by reducing performance anxiety and instilling the confidence needed to perform to the best of your ability.

As a player, aim to establish a routine that helps get you “into the zone.” The ability to focus the mind and get rid of daily distractions is key (ie. turn off your phone, forget about any worries at home or school, log-off of facebook). Once you have established the proper frame of mind, begin visualizing and focusing on execution. Create mental pictures of yourself putting a nasty move on a defender, blocking a shot at a crucial junction of the game, opening up for a 1-timer, or winning a key face-off. You want to go into a game with confidence, feeling good about yourself, and focused on executing your game plan.

When combined with proper nutrition and an effective physical warm-up, having a solid mental training plan in place will help instill the optimal level of confidence and mental activation required to play your best hockey.  EXACT Sports is hosting a series of hockey camps this summer with a focus on mental training and development that are designed to get high school athletes ready for college hockey.  The National Player Development Camp (NPDC) will feature on-ice instruction by leading college coaches (D1 and D3) and off-ice training led by leaders in sports psychology. For more information and a schedule of events, please visit www.exacthockey.com.

Olympic Results Take Time – A Recap of Team USA’s Hockey Success

Watching the men’s hockey tournament at the 2010 Olympics has been thrilling. I know it’s easy to say in hindsight that I had a good feeling about that team, but really, I did. I promise.   We are actually pretty fortunate in that we have been able to evaluate many of the players on Team USA at some point or another through our work with NHL teams or with the player directly when his agent or coach purchased our services.   Given our experience working with athletes at this level, we’ve done a lot of research into what it takes to achieve that kind of success. So, watching Team USA play in action was another opportunity to see these gifted players in action.

I think if there is one thing that can be taken away from the success of this team is that it simply wasn’t good luck or good genes. It was hard work by those players for a very long time. Their hard work started well before they were selected last year to be on the team.  I have a few thoughts about this and how it applies to competitive hockey players today.

In EXACT’s work with the National Hockey League player development staff, USA Hockey coaches, or various youth hockey association directors, we hear these two main points about player development all the time:

First, player development and hockey training is a long journey and requires a well-rounded approach to training starting early on. I don’t think many young athletes these days realize that success happens over the period of a decade, not the period of a few days, months, or even a few years. They often look for shortcuts or one simple solution—a magic pill, maybe?—that will make them better without the hard work. But every single one of those athletes on Team USA had a long history of a strong work ethic and well-rounded approach to skill development. They didn’t just start working hard in the last year or two. They didn’t begin preparing for the Olympics only a few weeks in advance. They were working hard back when they were youth hockey players. They were listening to their youth coaches, practicing what they learned, and applying it during games. They were expanding their repertoire of skills, trying new positions, and studying the game as a whole.

In EXACT’s analysis, successful players don’t rely on one magic type of shot, stick handling trick, or mental technique that made them extra tough during the tournament. Instead, it is their well-rounded set of skills honed over the course of development. In fact, at their earliest ages, they often play multiple sports other than hockey which help them refine their motor skills and overall sports skills.

Second, athletes are responsible for their own development. I know I just gave accolades to the youth coaching staff who work with players day-in and day-out on the ice, but at the end of the day, each player’s success is dependent on the player him or herself, not the coach.  The American Development Model’s premise that the athlete is the center of development is spot on.  Remember, Team USA didn’t become successful overnight just because a coach, friend, or cheerleader whispered into their ears, “Be tough! Be confident!”. No, they were ready for Olympic success because of the decade of hard work they had put into their own development before those Olympic games were even set to take place in Vancouver.

The reality for each of these players is that through the course of their development they’ve had numerous different coaches, teammates, and opponents. The athlete himself is the constant during his journey. Why does this matter? When EXACT Sports looks at the characteristics of successful athletes, we see that they generally display a high acceptance of responsibility. This is the ability for a player to accept responsibility for their own actions (or inactions), learn from them, and grow. No one single coach has all the answers for you, nor will he or she be responsible for your failings or mistakes. Your success will ultimately have to come from inside of you and you alone.

USA Hockey Infuses ADM into Select Player Development Camps

In 2009, EXACT Sports began a relationship with USA Hockey to improve the monitoring and development of its top players attending the Select camps in Rochester, NY. EXACT looks forward to continuing the relationship which includes the behavioral, physical, and skill/technical monitoring of players.

Continuing this summer, EXACT Sports will incorporate its advanced behavioral diagnostic (Competitive Athlete Psychological Inventory), sophisticated mental efficiency tool (Assessment of Mental Performance), physiological development protocol (Physical Evaluation of Performance) and analytical methodology for the National Hockey League’s player evaluation forms (Central Scouting Service) into the camps. These tools align well with USA Hockey’s mission for optimal athlete development, through the American Development Model (ADM). EXACT applauds the youth-focused approach and is proud to be partners of USA Hockey. The ADM’s mantra says it best — I am Potential.