By Eil Wilson /
Put yourself in the “bubble”
Even though being prepared mentally is very important and can make the difference between a good and a bad outing, goalies should keep their mental preparation simple. Just as technical training is there to simplify the goalie’s game and make him more efficient, mental training should be used by goalies to simplify how they will approach a game. It does not matter how much time the goalie puts in his mental preparation, it will mean nothing if he is not ready to play at game time. The ultimate goal is to help the goalie reach a state of mind in which he will feel comfortable playing in. This state of mind is often referred to as the “bubble.”
Lay down a plan
Goalies should approach mental training from two different perspectives. The goaltender must set both long-term and short-term goals.
Long term Objectives: The goalie should set clear long-term objectives that she wants to reach. I recommend that every month the goalie sits down with a coach or a parent and write down what she wants to accomplish. Putting down a plan on paper will help simplify the way she will approach things. It will help her stay focused on the task at hand and will help eliminate distractions. Some examples of long-term objectives are improving a certain aspect of the goalies game such as improving rebound control or the goalie may want to target more specific areas such as save percentage, goals against average, and number of wins.
Short-term objectives: It is also important for goalies to set short-term objectives. When approaching a game, the goalie should have a clear idea of what he wants to accomplish. I recommend that the goalie focus around technical points that he wants to execute well. Since so many aspects of a game are not in the goalie’s control, it is important that he be ready to react and respond to any and all situations that arise. No matter what happens in front of him, the goalie’s job does not change. Goalies are also often at the mercy of how well their teammates play in front of them. Thus, when you add up all the intangibles of a hockey game, you realize that there are too many things that the goalie does not control. This will greatly influence how a goaltender prepares for a game and how he will handle adversity.
Since forwards have to initiate the play and goalies react to it, goalies will have a different approach than most of their teammates when it comes to pre-game preparation.
Goalies should not focus on things that are out of their control, such as worrying about a team’s strong powerplay. Instead, he must focus on things he can control: always make sure that you battle to see the puck through traffic, read the play as it develops in front of you and communicate well with your defencemen. By focusing on these points you will avoid putting unnecessary pressure on yourself.
Visualize
One of the main components of mental training is mental visualization. I definitively recommend that goaltenders visualize what they want to accomplish before they get out on the ice.
As many sports psychologists say, “If you want to accomplish something you first need to see yourself doing it.” After laying down your monthly objectives, you should take a few minutes two or three times per week to imagine yourself accomplishing those objectives. For example, if one of your objectives is to improve your butterfly slides, then see yourself executing the slides the way you want them to be.
If another objective is to win four games during the month, then imagine yourself beating the teams that you will face during that period. Think of yourself celebrating with your teammates after each game.
The night before a game try to remember the state of happiness you experienced when you first imagined yourself beating a given team. As game time approaches, you should now focus on how you will emotionally respond to certain situations. See yourself being calm and controlled during tough situations such as letting in an early goal or facing a 5-on-3 penalty kill. In both cases, imagine yourself not panicking and staying in control of your emotions.
Game day is the time to focus on the technical part of your game. I recommend that you mentally review all the technical aspects of your game: pushes, slides, positioning, gloves, etc. Also, make sure that you mentally review what the other team does on the ice; tendencies of their best players etc. Doing all of the aforementioned suggestions should not take too much time. A few minutes before you go to bed, or when you wake up in the morning should be all you need.
Work hard
There is one thing that mental training cannot replace or compensate for: hard work. By working hard, you will improve your technical game. But more importantly, hard work will also give you peace of mind. Right before the puck is being dropped, if you know in your heart that in the days leading up to the game you have worked hard and done everything you possibly could to be ready, you will be more confident than any other goalie. You will have the feeling that you deserve to be successful. No other kind of preparation can give you this precious confidence!
Keep training hard and check back next issue for more of my goalie tips and techniques.
And remember… Keep your eye on the puck!!
Eli Wilson is the goaltending coach of the Ottawa Senators and is also president of Calgary’s World Pro Goaltending school. |
