Previously we had discussed the question of "Why do you play hockey?" Now think towards why you love the game.One of the easiest ways to describe one's inner motivation for being good at what they do, such as playing a sport, is because they truly enjoy and love what they are doing.
This can be broken down further for hockey by understanding the parts of the game that you love, and the parts of your position that you love.
For a goaltender this may be the pressure that is put on late in the game to preserve the win or to make that game saver in the final minutes. Of course all of the instances of success that come from pressure are due to a main result of preparing with practice, but this being said it would be tough to always make that big save if you didn't "want to" or "love to".
When we love something we gain energy, and embrace challenges. Training and practice wise, people can perform with fear, but they can perform at their best with love. Goalies that come into GDI to train that have a motive to be here and that are energized to improve. They embrace what they are being taught and what they are striving towards.
Think about going to a job or a class where you enjoy the manager or the teacher and you enjoy what you are doing while you are there. In this scenario, it is a lot easier than going to a workplace or class where you can't wait till the time is up to leave. The same can be said for when you are on the ice. In times throughout the season there may be instances where your team is going through a losing streak and it isn't fun coming to the rink anymore. In a situation like this you must dig deep and find what strikes your motivation to step on the ice and play.
Ken Baker, author of They Don't Play Hockey In Heaven, stated in his book that athletic challenges, such as making a breakaway save, are the drug to which athletes grow addicted, the narcotic that makes old guys come back for more, because they know that athletic intoxication beats anything you can drink, snort or smoke. With such a bold statement, this defines that percentage of hockey players that "stick to the program" of training and preparing throughout the whole year. Of course, without the love of doing what you do it would be tough to stay committed.
Commitment can be defined as the willingness to do what is necessary to get the job done. Muhammed Ali once proclaimed that " Champions are made from something they have deep inside them: A desire, a dream, a vision....They have to have the skill and the will. And the will must be stronger than the skill."
We all have a dream and many visions. The thing is though, dreamers must make it a reality. When you envision something you must take the next step to make it happen. What can you do? Take time to think about what your dream is for this upcoming year. Questions to ask yourself may be:
- How can I accomplish this dream and make it a future objective?
- What is the timeline that it will take to accomplish?
- What skills must I improve on to make this objective happen?
- What skills do I have that already benefit my performance?
- What sets my abilities in an elite level over my competition?
- Do I have any credibility already towards my objective?
Take some time to think about everything that you have to do to obtain your dreams and your future vision. Write it down on paper. Now you must take that next step and go out there and prepare.
Do whatever it takes. Stay committed to what you have to do. And when times are tough, and you feel like you don't have what it takes...think about why you love the game of hockey. Think about the areas that you love while you play in goal. Your love and your will to succeed will ultimately get you through anything.
Why do you do it? Where does it comes from? Blood, Sweat, and Tears too.
Need more information on how to set goals, how far ahead to look into the future? Talk to one of your GDI Regional Managers for more info and goal sheets.
