Mental Training: Focus on Your Own Game

Following Game 5 in Vancouver, Roberto Luongo was asked to describe how the goal was scored on Tim Thomas, and how hard the goal was for a goaltender. Luongo responded, cutting off the media personnel that asked the question and put down Thomas by saying, “It’s not hard when you’re playing in the paint, so it’s an easy save for me. But if you’re wandering out and aggressive like he is, then that’s going to happen. So he might make some saves that I won’t, but in cases like that we want to make sure we’re in good positions and bury those.”

Luongo’s response was one of a goaltender who is struggling to understand how he has been outplayed by the other goaltender thus far in the series. This is clear in his body language and his inability to look up while speaking to the media. Thomas has been the better goaltender and Luongo knows this.

My first thought of this situation was the typical, “Well there goes Luongo again, giving the other team some bulletin board material.” When he struggled through Games 3 and 4, Thomas smartly and discreetly deferred from answering any questions. He didn’t want to give the other team any extra motivation to perform at their best, but Thomas has played great through the entire series and has the confidence to do this.

Instead, Luongo felt the need to put down Thomas for how he played the situation and in his voice expressed frustrations in how Thomas plays. The advice which Luongo gives to Thomas would not be effective for Thomas, and Luongo knows this.

Each goalie is completely different. Luongo is the bigger of the two goalies, but while Thomas is smaller in size, he makes up for his size through his athletic ability and stop the puck at all-expenses style. It would be crazy to think that Thomas should play deep in his net like Luongo, as he would open up holes and vice versa. But each goalie plays within their size restraints and athletics ability.

Why we compare ourselves to the

other goaltender can vary, but we’ll all do it from time to time. I can personally remember playing against goaltenders that were revolutionizing goaltending through what is now referred to as the blocking style. In one instance, I was not playing great. I had allowed a couple of early goals and the other goaltender was standing on his head. Trying to replicate what the other goaltender was doing, I slid over with my shoulders high gloves above my pads and watched the puck fly right in the net. This was not a technique that at the time I had been taught. So instead of making an athletic save, I watched the puck go right into the net.

The cause of why we compare ourselves to the other goaltender can vary from the above example where the other goaltender was having a big game to media influences. Some of us worry about the other goaltender because they worry too much about other people’s opinions of their performances. For example, you

may worry too much about what your team thinks about your technique when the other goaltender is getting the job done and you’re not consistently.

Others may become caught up in the other goaltender’s play because of a lack in confidence. With little confidence in your own ability and game you may even abandon your game plan to begin to play like the other goaltender. No matter why we are focused on comparing our game to the other goaltenders the results are seldom to ever be positive for the goaltender.

When you become overcome by th

oughts about the opposing goaltender what should you do? Should you be respectful and take your licking or should you try to take your game up a notch and make some big saves? Neither. Remember that goaltending is a game of percentages. There are no guarantees, only probabilities. You have to put yourself in a position to have the best odds. That won’t happen if you are preoccupied with your opponent’s game. Concentrate on your game plan and believe it will be good enough. If it’s not working, then make small adjustments. But these adjustments need to be within the realm o

f your abilities. Don’t try new techniques you don’t own.

From the mental side look at this as a challenge, a chance to really test your skills against the opposing goaltender. He or she may be good but you’re good too! Don’t short-change yourself. So-called lesser goaltenders defeat so-called better goalies all the time. This will only happen if the lesser goalie truly believes he or she has a chance, puts themselves in a position to win and then follows through for the victory.

Luongo should have respectfully declined to answer the question or said that it was a great play by his team instead of putting down the other goaltender. To learn more about how a mental training program works and how it can help you to perform at your best when it counts, contact me at any time.

Shaun Smith is the founder of Absolute Mental Training and provides The Goalie Guild with a column every week. If you have any questions or comments, contact him at ssmith@absolutementaltraining.com!

Mental Training: Focus on Your Own Game

Mental Training: Character

Shaun Smith is the founder of Absolute Mental Training and provides The Goalie Guild with a column every week. If you have any questions or comments, contact him at ssmith@absolutementaltraining.com

After the Boston Bruins finally put away the Tampa Bay Lightning and clinched the Eastern Conference, Tim Thomas attributed his team’s success to character. Yet how many people truly understand what it means to be a goaltender of character?

Character has become one of those overused words by the media in recent years and this has caused some confusion within goaltenders if they possess the appropriate character or not.

Being a goaltender of character means that the goalie has the combination of qualities or features that distinguish them from another goalie. The problem with this definition of character is that being a goaltender of character over another goalie may not mean that you have the most desired attributes but that you are better than the goaltender you are facing.

Goalies can also be quickly deceived into believing that they have the character to be an elite goalie when in fact they don’t have the necessary qualities. These athletes become self-deceived by experiencing success through the mastery of techniques and skills apart from the development of character. It is not until they enter higher levels of competition that they realize that they do not have the necessary character to be a winner at the next level.

Character is hard to measure for the everyday goaltender and during a recent group presentation for GDI Alberta on character and I broke character down into the following characteristics that I hope better defines character for you:

• Respect: A goaltender of character respects their coaches, can take correction as a compliment and consistently is seeking new information. When your coach is talking you should be listening carefully to what your coach is teaching you and how it can be applied to specific game situations.
  
  
• Work Ethic: A goaltender of character has a strong work ethic and commits to continuous improvement and demonstrates an ability to keep focused on improving their overall game through dedication and perseverance.
  
  
• Confidence: A goaltender of character believes in their abilities to perform at their best based on their preparedness to compete. These goalies are not cocky or arrogant but believe that when the game is on the line they can compete with the best.
  
  
• Pride: A goaltender of character is proud of the work that they put in and their accomplishments as a team. These goalies don’t need any extra attention from the team or coaching staff and go about their work because they want to be their best (versus working hard to get the approval of others).
  
  
• Responsibility: A goaltender of character shows responsibility for both their sport and their school or work. I am always amazed by how many goaltenders fail to understand the importance of school in measuring their character as an athlete. Getting good grades shows that the athlete is accountable and disciplined on the task at hand.
  
  
• Consistency: A goaltender of character is dependable and someone that the team can trust. The players and coaching staff will always have confidence in a goalie with confidence and know that their goaltender can be counted on by teammates and coaches.
  
  
• Competitive: A goaltender of character is one who is competitive and can demonstrate the will to win. These goaltenders can quickly recover from mistakes or bad luck and never quits on a play or game.
  
  
• Mental Toughness: A goaltender of character has the inner strength to be able to control their emotions and remain focused when the game is on the line. They always stay positive and nothing breaks their spirit to compete.
  
  
• Integrity: A goaltender of character will act according to the values, beliefs and principles they claim to hold. They are consistent in all situations and fulfill expectations with appropriate actions.
  
  
• Leadership: A goaltender of character is a team player and serves the greater good of the team. They are selfless in their actions and accept their role on the team. They display a love for the game to the rest of the team which motivates everybody to do their best.
  
  
• Sportsmanship: A goaltender of character respects their teammates, coaches, officials, opponents and themselves. They respect the rules of the game and play within them.

A goaltender of character is and will always be a necessary component of elite level goaltenders. It is not enough to focus on your physical and technical skills because when the game is on the line your true character will be revealed.

Character can be improved and should be a lifelong development. If you are committed to being the best athlete you can be then you should spend some time working improving your character.

Shaun Smith is the founder of Absolute Mental Training and provides The Goalie Guild with a column every week. If you have any questions or comments, contact him at ssmith@absolutementaltraining.com!

Mental Training: Character

Making the Best of Your Opportunities

Every athlete finds the various lull's in a season as the year goes on, and finds ways to overcome the fatigue and stress of performing day in and day out.

On the other hand, every athlete puts pressure on themselves in various situations to excel. The term pressure is inextricalby linked with one's self motivation and the desire to do something. When opportunities open up the elite athletes are the ones that make the most of their chances and take advantage of their future performances. On Tuesday night Carey Price had this chance as the Habs took on the Canucks in Vancouver.

The Canadian Press - Carey Price's previous trip to Vancouver ended with a sore hand. This time the Montreal Canadiens' goalie left with a souvenir puck.

Playing in front of at least 50 family members and friends, the Anahim Lake, B.C., native made 12 of his 37 saves in the third period, and the Canadiens snapped a decade-long drought in Vancouver with a 3-2 win over the Canucks on Tuesday night.

It was a decided improvement over Price's last trip to his home province early last season, which ended with him getting pulled after giving up seven goals. He then punched a hole in the wall of the visiting locker-room.

The year before that, with even more supporters in attendance, Price sat out behind Jaroslav Halak before getting a token appearance in the third period of another one-sided loss.

"I put a lot of mental preparation into this one," Price said. "I remember last year and not getting the opportunity to play before that and it really meant a lot to me coming in here. I think everyone in this locker-room realized that and really battled for me."

Canadiens defenceman Paul Mara made sure to grab the puck after the final buzzer and present it to Price after he was mobbed by his teammates.

"I really wanted that puck. That was the only one I've wanted all year," Price said. "I've watched the Canucks my whole life being from B.C., and getting an opportunity to play against them and actually win here is pretty special."

Price made a handful of game-saving stops in the third as Montreal won in Western Canada for the first time in three years, and the fifth time in 30 visits. "It was nice to get it here for Carey," defenceman Hall Gill said.

Coming off a 4-0 loss in the outdoor Heritage Classic at Calgary on Sunday, and with only one win in seven games (1-4-2), the Canadiens switched all four forward lines and stressed defensive play. It paid off as they roared to a 14-1 shot advantage in the first 10 minutes in a building where they had dropped seven straight, dating to November 2000.

"We knew we were going to meet a team that was on edge and they proved it the first 10 minutes," Canucks coach Alain Vigneault said. "They threw everything they had at us. They were first on the puck. They completely controlled the game." For more on this article Click Here.

On the other end of the spectrum, take a look down south to the back-end of the Anaheim Ducks. Curtis McElhinney went into a downward spiral as he replaced Jonas Hiller. With Hiller on the shelf, McElhinney was given the opportunity to carry the load but could not secure the job. He has yielded 23 goals in his past five starts and failed to record a save percentage better than .840 during that span.

After winning just one of those five outings, this morning he was traded to Tampa Bay for goaltender Dan Ellis. Goaltender Ray Emery was also recently acquired and now brought up from the AHL after playing well in his three starts in Syracuse. Desperate for help, the Ducks now have two credible goaltenders who have had success in their past and are now both on the rise again.

Taking advantage of ones opportunities as they open up is something that every athlete must keep in mind. Waking up each morning every goaltender has the chance to open up a new door with how their attitude is shown, how they display their habits, and how their character is respected. Again, take note of this now when competing to be the starting goaltender going through your teams playoff run or for next season looking to crack a new roster or role for your team.

Heading into playoffs keep the bar raised high for each and every game. Build up your excitement towards showing your in net ability and to display what you have learned throughout the year.

Making the Best of Your Opportunities

Your Preparation Dispels Pressure and Builds Confidence (Part 1)

Starting to "stress" about playoffs?

Recent studies have shown that with many things on your mind it is important to organize and understand the causes of your personal anxiety.

According to a University of Chicago study, published in the journal Science, students have the ability to combat test anxiety and improve their performance by writing about their worries before the exam begins.

The researchers conducted various tests, including two experiments involving ninth-grade biology students taking the first final exam of their high school career .They tested the students for text anxiety six weeks before the final exam by asking students to rate items such as "During tests, I find myself thinking about the consequences of failing."

With the writing exercise introduced during the year students were able to unload their anxieties before taking the test, helping them free up brainpower needed to complete the test successfully, rather than being occupied by worry and doubt. The study's senior author, Sian Beilock, an associate professor in psychology at the University, explained that pressure-filled situations can deplete a part of the brain's processing power known as working memory, which is critical to many everyday activities.

Now, after creating an understanding for the causes of failure and change in performance, take a second to picture two different in-game scenarios:

1) You have a rough start to a game as you allow a goal on a shot that is normally considered routine. Your body is tight as you feel agitated set in your stance throughout the game. You continue to play poorly heading into the next period being nervous and worried as the opposition approaches on each scoring chance.

2) You begin the first period by feeling comfortable and excited. Each period is intense. Your play is relaxed but mentally you are competitive, aware, and ready. Every shot feels like it was meant to be stopped.

A goaltender goes through many situations throughout their playing career. What is important to understand is that heading into every new situation in the future there will always be a new result different from the past. No two games are the exact same. Entering every new game you have the ability to change the saying "Your only as good as your last game" depending on positive or negative future results.

Now, relate back thinking of two of your past games. One where you felt you had played to the best of your ability, displaying a confident demeanor. And another of a past performance where you played poorly.For several minutes, visually picture playing in each game and view each period frame by frame. What are the differences between the two. Write them down.

Besides the games end decision, how did you feel while you were playing in each? How did your edges feel while executing your movements, how did the puck feel as you accepted it into your body? Take time to understand your states and how you felt in each game. Gradually switch to focusing on strictly the positive aspects of how you feel when you are playing your best. For example - As you made a blocker save in the second period it felt natural as if you have executed the same controlled stop in the past. Write down a long list describing how you feel at your best and what you can do when you are at your best.

Know how you feel during your best past performance, write it down, relive and picture it. Now, go out and achieve success. By resolving the feelings of unease early before competition this will have a positive result to your in game focus being open and in the moment, like a laser beam strictly attentive on the action of the game.

A confident and mentally prepared goaltender will rise above and take control of their future.

Before playoffs begin - Start to prepare, continue to prepare, and get your mind and body on a positive track. Don't leave room to make excuses or leave backdoors open. Perform at your best under pressure. We can help.

Your Preparation Dispels Pressure and Builds Confidence (Part 1)