Absolute Mental Training

How Can Our Minds Be So Powerful?

2012-02-01T11:49:00.000-08:00

How Can Our Minds Be So Powerful?

Written By: Shaun Smith- Absolute Mental Training

Have you ever been sitting before a game and got that feeling that this is not going to be a good game? How often did these feelings come true? For most goalies and athletes for that matter these thoughts of failing or having a bad game become true. One example that I can think of when I played was in I was younger. Before a game against a particular team I told my teammates that this was the team that had hurt me at the starting of the season. Thoughts began to run through my head of getting hurt again and sure enough late in the first period a guy was tripped and fell into me and I hurt my knee.

So why does this happen? Why does a simple thought lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy? How can our minds be so powerful that we can determine the outcome of a game through our minds?

Many of us would like to be able to believe that training on the ice through repetition is what makes great goalies great and it can’t hurt. The ability to complete any given skill without thinking because of the muscle memory which is formed when we work on new skills is amazing. Yet, no matter how many repetitions of any given skill you complete in practice there is one thing that can break that cycle of movements. Your mind. Your mind is able to delay that reaction or all together make you forget that skill which you have been working on.

The mind is powerful beyond measures. The truth is that every movement, every reaction and every save that we need to make within a game must first be interpreted within our mind before the resulting action is completed. Think about the save process for a moment. You see that a player has just released the shot. By using your eyes you are able to tell where exactly that puck is headed (say glove hand). It is then up to your brain to tell the muscles in your glove hand and arm that it is time to move and in what direction to make the save possible. But if your mind has to be interrupted from the negative thoughts which you are having or if your mind believes that you should be a second slow because you are fighting the puck then the resulting action will not occur in time because we only have a fraction of a second to make the appropriate reaction to what we see.

This is why negative thoughts before and during the game often always come true and why many goaltenders although great in practice fail to perform in games. As goaltenders then we need to work on improving our game through working on the mental side of the game so that we can be powerful beyond measures and there is no better time than today. Mental training is then not for the sick but for those who want to be the best.

The mind is the master of the body. Like it or not this is true. No matter what physically you think you can do because of brute strength we are limited by our minds. If we train and discipline our minds though, the body will follow. Once the body and mind become focused and in tune, you will see that your game will seem to flow; like you are in the zone. In other words, you will not be fighting with yourself and good things will just seem to happen for you.

Shaun Smith is the founder of Absolute Mental Training. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to email him at ssmith@absolutementaltraining.com!

Ten Tips For Parents

2012-01-18T13:39:00.001-08:00

Ten Tips For Parents

Written By: Shaun Smith- Absolute Mental Training

Parents often openly talk about what they “hope” their child can get out of their sport. This can range from playing at a very competitive level or my favourite “at least get a college scholarship.” I get that parents want what’s best for their children (I have two beautiful daughters who I would do anything for to see them succeed) but what sports parents do not realize is that talking about such high expectations may put undue pressure on a child to live up to their parental expectations

Statistically, the chances of your child being offered a college scholarship are slim to none. To state that you hope your child will get at least a college scholarship out of their sport puts a lot of pressure on your child to perform. Your child will not love and enjoy their sport but instead believe that they must be at their best to live up to your dreams. To make matters worse think about what will happen when your child doesn't get the recognition that you believe they deserve? Maybe they are one of the best athletes in their sport in your area and somehow they get missed by the scouts. Your child may develop feelings of inadequacy and may even want to drop out of their sport.

As we approach a new year I wanted to give each and every sport parent out there ten tips which we as parents should live by this coming year if want to allow sports to enrich our child’s lives. In my mind the following tips will help sports parents and coaches ensure that children experience positive feelings from engaging in sport and to help to create a physically active lifestyle that continues through adulthood.

Ten Tips For Sports Parents

Focus on your children's efforts and performances rather than the outcome of a competition: Teach your children that success means achieving their personal goals and performing at their best rather than winning a contest.
Help your children to set realistic goals that are measurable and attainable. Goals that are too vague or too difficult to achieve lead to a high dissatisfaction rate with their sport.
Make sure your children know that whether they win or lose, whether they play a lot or a little, you love them unconditionally. Give just as much praise for a loss as you do for a win.
Show respect for your children's coaching staff. If you're not happy with the coaching style or how they are handling things, discuss your concerns with the coach when you are alone with the coach. Don't coach your children from the sidelines.
Show support for your children's teams by attending games and cheering for all team members. Don't express criticism towards opponents or referees during competition.
Accept any limitations in your children's physical abilities. Not every child will be born with the uncanny ability of Michael Jordan to dunk a basketball or Wayne Gretzky to score 50 goals. Allow them to play within their skill level as they will have much more fun playing against a similar skill level.
Make sure your children are having fun. Ask your children if they are enjoying their participation in sports and want to continue or try something else? If they are not having fun try to find out why. If the problem cannot be solved try another sport.
Place your children in sports best suited to them rather than forcing your children into sports you prefer or that are most popular. If your child really enjoys playing badminton then let them play their sport. Nothing is worse than seeing children who hate their sport playing because their parents want them to.
Be careful not to relive your sport experiences exclusively through your children. Let them play for themselves, not for you.
Keep sport in perspective. Remember the purpose of sport for children is to create an opportunity for fun and growth. All the triumphs and heartaches that are inherent in sport for children can provide learning experiences and lessons that help pave the road to adulthood.

I would like to take this time to take a moment and thank all of you for taking the time to read my articles and wish everyone the best in 2012! To do this I have also provided you with some great offers which I will continue until the new year for all the Absolute Mental Training blog readers. To see what offers are in store please take a look at www.absolutementaltraining.com

Shaun Smith is the founder of Absolute Mental Training and provides The Goalie Guild with a weekly column that is posted every Tuesday. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to email him at ssmith@absolutementaltraining.com!

So You've Been Cut- Now What?

2010-10-18T21:52:00.001-07:00

SO YOU’VE BEEN CUT – NOW WHAT?

With the start of every hockey season, many goaltenders are quickly reminded about the harsh reality of the sport which they love to play; you can be cut. Getting cut or not making the team can happen because of multiple factors, often more than one factor at one time. These factors can include a poor performance, a lack of skills, tough competition, age, and of course politics.

The truth is that no goaltender has had the perfect career where they never found themselves being cut. Yet many goaltenders hang on to the fact that maybe the coach made a bad decision or that they were judged inappropriately. Getting cut sucks, but the key for a goaltender to make sure that he doesn’t get cut again is to turn a negative result into a positive motivator and a chance to get better. Here are a few key thoughts if you have recently experienced being cut and are looking for a way to turn getting cut into a positive experience:

1. We will never achieve our best if we never experience failure - The biggest factor behind all great athlete’s stories is their experience of failure. You can never become a great athlete without failing. The key to experiencing success is to spend time and determine what it is that you can learn from the experience. Failure should lead you to a very valuable piece of information. Embrace loss as a necessary component of your improving game.

2. Athletes often build their character and reputation when the going gets tough - Getting cut is not a great feeling. Often athletes feel like they have experienced rock bottom and some even experience the feeling of wanting to leave their sport. These thoughts are part of the grieving process as you learn that you are losing the connection with a goal that you held very close to you (making the team). Great athletes are not afraid to fail or experience the feelings that come with failure like disappointment. These athletes know that although they have failed if they keep on battling and improving they will experience success which is often greater than what they would have normally experienced.

3. Take responsibility for your training - Although maybe your being cut is the result of something that you cannot control the truth is that if you are going to experience success the means rests firmly on your shoulders. Blaming coaches, the staff members or any other factor is creating an excuse. Winners don’t make excuses; they take responsibility and use their current failures as the opportunity to grow as an athlete. After getting cut the best thing that you can do is to take an HONEST look at your game and come up with 3 to 4 key areas of your game that you need to focus your energy on. Then you must set goals for these areas and create a training plan that will allow you to improve in these areas.

The key to getting back at it after being cut is to challenge yourself to get back up and continue to improve your game on a week to week or day to day basis. Re-evaluate your goals and set new goals that will help you improve the key areas of your game that you may currently be weaker.

Getting cut sucks! Trust me. I’ve personally experienced it and have relived the feelings that come with getting cut through the athletes that I work with. I don’t wish getting cut on any of you but if you do I hope that my advice will help you to improve your game. If though you are struggling to get back at it or are having feelings of leaving your sport or feelings of being upset feel free to contact me.

There's No Such Thing As Losing

2010-10-18T21:50:00.001-07:00

THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS LOSING, ONLY LEARNING

With the regular season just underway, players from all levels, from the NHL right down to children who are six years old, are starting their regular seasons. Coaches, parents and media will all be evaluating the performance of these respective teams. Teams will be put under the microscope and many goaltenders will be shouldering the blame for their teams’ early losses. Today’s game is so much about losing and winning that even young kids will be judging their performance on any given day on if their team loses or wins. I would like to take this moment to ask all of you to consider the following: There’s No Such Thing as Losing, Only Learning.

I could only imagine what it would have been like to have been around when the great game of hockey was born as I have a hard time believing that hockey was designed around the concept of winning or losing. In fact I can almost guarantee that the game of hockey was designed to provide the people with a leisure activity where they could get together with friends and complete an activity that challenged their physical fitness.

Yet today’s game has been separated from these ideals and now we are in a state where I believe that too much pressure is put on winning and losing at every level. Don’t believe me? Look at Carey Price’s first preseason game. He was being ridiculed for performing poorly and Price’s response was along the lines of relax it’s not like the Stanley Cup is going to be won off of one preseason game. Media and dollar signs have transformed the game of hockey into a sport which the value of winning is being in proportionately valued at ALL levels.

I have had numerous conversations with six year old goaltenders who have told me that they have had a bad game because as a team they lost. Yet when we dive deeper into how they themselves played this is not always the case. Our youth feel that if they are not winning they are losers and this breaks my heart. I can only imagine the impact that I would have had on my daughter if after the first time she attempted to crawl I ridiculed her and painted her as a loser. She may have given up and never learnt how to crawl. Yet in sport we as a society believe that it is alright to drive this message into our youth. This adds increased pressure and takes the fun out of the game yet that this is not the worst product of a win or you’re a loser approach to the game of hockey. When our youth feel like losers they fail to understand that even when they are losing there is something that they can learn from a loss that will help them to become a better player. Instead they focus solely on the fact that they lost the game and only feel the pressure that they must perform better in their next game.

I would like to challenge everyone from coaches, parents and goaltenders themselves to begin their season with a different approach. Instead of looking at the game as a win or loss look at what your goaltender can learn from the game. What did the goaltender do well? What should the goaltender work on to get better? Write down three items for both questions. Maybe the goaltender had really strong angles yet failed to keep visually attached to the puck in traffic. This is a great lesson for the goaltender to work on; staying attached to the puck right to the end of the drill in their next practice. If after every game we can take a lesson out of the game of what we need to do next time to be better we will be setting ourselves up for success and we will be removing the pressure of winning. The truth is that for every goaltender the first game of the year is not life or death just as Price noted. Instead, goaltenders need to continue on the process of continually getting stronger every day if they want to experience success in their game. The moment we stop working on our game is the minute that another goaltender is getting stronger!

Shaun Smith is the founder of Absolute Mental Training. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to email him atssmith@absolutementaltraining.com!

Want More Information, Tips, Etc Follow AMT

2010-09-28T09:36:00.000-07:00

Were on facebook at Absolute Mental Training

AND

We're on Twitter at Absolutemental

FINALLY

Find the latest AMT articles on The Goalie Guild

As always any questions, comments or concerns feel free to contact me at ssmith@absolutementaltraining.com

Bolton Pouliot Has Turned Heads And Is Challenging For A Spot

2010-09-28T09:09:00.000-07:00

Bolton is a great kid who works extremely hard. Bolton came to me at the start of this summer. Pleasure working with him

Ahead of his time

Bolton Pouliot

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By Greg Meachem

Published: September 10, 2010 6:45 AM
Updated: September 10, 2010 9:55 AM

Bolton Pouliot wasn’t shooting for the stars when he checked into the Red Deer Rebels training camp as a raw rookie.
Flash forward two weeks and the Rebels coaching staff is hoping that they have a future Western Hockey League star in the Calgary product.
The 16-year-old goaltender basically secured the full-time back-up berth with his play through camp and the Black and White intrasquad game and looked stellar while blocking pucks through the second half of Wednesday’s preseason-opening 3-0 win over the Calgary Hitmen at Airdrie.
Pouliot, one of three goalies — 20-year-olds Darcy Kuemper and Kraymer Barnstable being the others — remaining on the Rebels roster, admitted Thursday that he didn’t expect to be at this point so soon.
“My goal this fall was just to make the Black and White game. I didn’t plan on signing or playing exhibition games,” he said. “My goal was to get as far as the Black and White game and anything else would be just extra.
“I have a lot of work to do from here and as long as I keep pushing I think I have a chance to stay. I have to keep developing and learning from the other guys.”
Pouliot stopped all 18 shots he faced Wednesday and appeared calm, cool and collected in the process.
“It was very nerve-wracking just getting in there, but eventually I kind of calmed down. I made that first save and everything kind of played out from there,” he said.
The fact that Pouliot was able to maintain his composure in his first-ever WHL contest was a testament to the training he received at the Goalie Development Institute in Calgary during the summer.
“I worked with a mental trainer, Shaun Smith, at GDI,” said the six-foot-one netminder.
“We worked on making sure I don’t get too up or down. Shaun really stressed the importance of staying level-headed and he probably helped me get this far.”
Pouliot, selected in the seventh round of the 2009 WHL bantam draft, enjoyed a strong season with the minor midget AAA Calgary Royals last winter and didn’t disappoint the Rebels scouts who caught him in action.
“Our scouts told us that he’d push for a spot here this year,” said Rebels head coach/vice-president of hockey operations Jesse Wallin.
“Until you see him yourself, it’s really hard to tell, but he certainly had a very good training camp and last night the screws tightened up a bit. He moved up to the next step, the preseason, and I thought he handled that really well. We’ll see he continues to progress.”
Wallin is confident that Pouliot has all the tools to progress into a capable and perhaps superior WHL goaltender.
“He’s got a lot of qualities that we like,” said Wallin. “(Rebels goalie coach) Brent Belecki has been very impressed with him in training camp and Bolton is a very mature young man, he carries himself very well. I think you can see that in his play. He plays with a lot of poise, a lot of confidence. He’s big and strong and moves well for a young guy.
“The biggest thing is he’s a leader and he competes. Through the rookie camp and into main camp you could hear him taking charge on the ice, you could hear him talking to his defencemen. He’s a take-charge kid and a real competitor. Every day he’s been on the ice he’s worked hard to get better. He’s eager, he’s keen, and when you have those qualities you know there’s going to be growth that comes with it.”
• The Rebels and Hitmen meet again Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Innisfail Arena.
The Rebels conclude preseason play next week, meeting the Hurricanes Tuesday at Lethbridge, facing the Edmonton Oil Kings Friday at Lacombe and taking on the Medicine Hat Tigers 24 hours later at Stettler.
• Red Deer is ranked 10th in the CHL BMO Mastercard Top 10 preseason rankings released Thursday. The Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors are the top-ranked team, with three WHL clubs — the Portland Winterhawks, Tri-City Americans and Saskatoon Blades — ranked third, sixth and eighth.
gmeachem@reddeeradvocate.com

Mason Raymond's Goal: Put The Puck In The Net

2010-09-28T09:03:00.000-07:00

Raymond is one of the nicest guys that I have ever got the chance to meet. He was a great competitor and had to battle the odds but I think it was his goal setting that helped him to reach this level. Found this article, good read about Raymond:

Raymond's straightforward goal: Score more goals

BY BEN KUZMA, THE PROVINCE

Mason Raymond has the confidence to predict that the 30-plus goal plateau is attainable in his fourth pro season.

Photograph by: Jeff Vinnick, Getty Images

Mason Raymond has always dreamed big. There's no limit to large aspirations, even though being slight in stature as a midget hockey star in Alberta had many doubting that the speedy Vancouver Canucks winger would ever collect an NHL cheque. That group included Raymond.

He now has the money after avoiding arbitration and signing a two-year, $5.1 million US contract extension following a career-high 25 goals and 53 points. And he now has the confidence to predict that the 30-plus goal plateau is attainable in his fourth pro season.

Pretty good bravado from a guy who had to be convinced to give the AJHL a try in Camrose where the Kodiaks retired his No. 9 jersey on Sept. 10.

"I credit a lot of it to experience," said Raymond. "Each year, I learn more and believe in myself and who I can be out on the ice. And I just keep pushing forward to hopefully improve on the numbers. They're close to my chest, but I like to set goals. And I'll strive to reach them."

As main camp progresses and the preseason nears, one of the many questions is who will join Ryan Kesler and Raymond on the second line? Raymond has earned the right to be pencilled in, but lost in his solid season were bouts of inconsistency. He scored 17 goals in his first 39 games -- including his first career hat trick on Dec. 27 in Calgary -- and had goal droughts of 10 and 11 games. Two of his three postseason goals came in the Chicago playoff series and he had the winner in Game 1.

Raymond has to prove he's a legitimate top-six forward and not a one-year scoring wonder. Yet he was brave enough at times to barge into tough scoring areas, brave enough to try some trickery in the slot and not simply stick to a restrictive perimeter game.

And if it's true that to know where you're going that you have to know where you've been, then a trip in time for Raymond earlier this month to revisit his hockey roots was timely.

NHL expectation is enough of an animal to wrestle, but Raymond wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for midget hockey buddy Daniel Bertram convincing him to give the Kodiaks a try.

"That was arguably my most fun years in hockey," said Raymond, who had 144 points in two AJHL seasons before playing two years at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. "It was a big transition in my life and a place where I believed in myself again."

The memories came flooding back at his jersey retirement.

"It was a full day," said Raymond. "I visited a bunch of schools, signed autographs and then the jersey. Obviously, it's a huge honour."

It will mean more if Raymond and the Canucks can meet heightened Stanley Cup expectations. They became unglued during their second-round playoff series because they lost their composure and by they time they regained it, the damage had been done.

"We've got to sort that out," said Raymond. "This is a great window for us to do some great things and we have a great group of core guys. But we've got to go out and do the work."

Sports Illustrated Article On Depression- Good read!

2010-09-22T12:58:00.001-07:00

Jon Wertheim>VIEWPOINT

McKinley's apparent suicide casts light on athletes' risk of depression

Kenny McKinley played in eight games as a rookie last season before he was sidelined with a knee injury. He began 2010 on injured reserve.

It was before the famous tent stint in Australia, the various drug suspensions, the holistic medicine, the Toronto Argonauts and the Redemption. In the summer of 2003, Ricky Williams was passing through New York on a media tour and we ended up talking. Williams said a few words about his football career, but then, candid as ever, he took the conversation on a hairpin turn and began to talk about his battles with mental illness.

You may recall that during his fairly disastrous tenure with the New Orleans Saints, Williams had a habit of answering questions without removing his football helmet. But that wasn't all. After practice, he would leave the locker room and head to the Burger King drive-thru, only to realize that he would have to interact with someone to place an order. So he would head home to spend the rest of the day in seclusion. The phone would ring and he wouldn't pick up. "At practice [the next day] my teammates would be like, 'Hey, what did you do last night?' " Williams recalled. "I'm thinking, I went from the living room to the office to the bedroom."

The team did little to help. Only after tooling around the Internet did Williams self-diagnose himself with social anxiety disorder. He finally massed the courage to confront the Saints' hidebound coach, Jim Haslett. He explained that he was seeking treatment for a psychological issue. According to Williams, Haslett used profanity to tell him, in so many words, "to stop being a baby and just play football." (Haslett did not respond to SI's questions about the incident.)

Around the same time, Williams broke his ankle. The team treated his recovery as a matter of vital importance. Trainers and rehab specialists oversaw is every move and asked for near-daily updates on his condition. Teammates texted him daily. Williams was struck by the contrast. "There's a physical prejudice in sports," he says. "When it's a broken bone, the teams will do everything in their power to make sure it's OK. When it's a broken soul, it's like a weakness."

I recalled this when the news broke that Denver Broncos wide receiver Kenny McKinley was found dead on Monday afternoon in Arapahoe County of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. While the investigation is ongoing and McKinley hasn't been officially linked to depression, one has to wonder if he was depressed, especially after he was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury. (According to the National Institute of Mental Health, the risk factors for suicide include depression and other mental disorders or a substance abuse disorder. More than 90 percent of people who commit suicide have these risk factors.)

To the uninitiated, it makes no sense. Aren't these young, sculpted, famous, rich gladiators antithetical to the whole concept of depression? Aren't pro athletes supposed to be impervious to all manner of pain? Don't they collide violently against each other, and need to be talked out of playing with the kinds of injuries that would incapacitate most of us for weeks?

In the macho, less-than-enlightened Republic of Sports, depression and other mental illnesses are often stigmatized as maladies for the weak. "Gutless" was the term Bobby Valentine, then the Mets manager, allegedly used to describe Pete Harnisch after the pitcher suffered a depressive episode. "Run it off," an NBA coach once told Vin Baker when the player tried to explain his depression. "Don't let the blues get you down!"

"Head case" remains one of the most damning labels in the front office. Sports psychologists know that if they want acceptance among athletes, they're better off re-branding themselves as the less-menacing "performance coaches."

The abiding irony: it's entirely possible that athletes in pro sports -- the ultimate kennel of alpha dogs -- might be MORE prone to mental illness than members of society at large. After hereditary influences, the biggest risk factor for depression is stress. Performing in front of thousands of fans, having your work scrutinized and judged regularly, and laboring in a field where success and failure are so clear-cut can exact a huge psychic toll. There's also the stress of knowing that your career, and thus the window of opportunity to make millions, is narrow. As McKinley's agent, Andrew Bondrarowicz, told the Denver Post: "These guys, they're made of steel on the outside. But for a lot of them, the challenge of being at your best and living up to all the expectations is a difficult situation. Some people are better equipped and have the support system."

Other factors include:

• Head injuries. Studies show that someone who has endured multiple concussions is up to four times more likely to suffer depression. Athletes, of course, are at a far greater risk than the general population to suffer cranial injuries, which can alter brain chemistry. Andre Waters, the Eagles' fearsome defensive back, committed suicide in 2006 at age 43; an autopsy revealed that his brain tissue had degenerated to that befitting a man in his 80s.

Another Philadelphia football player, Owen Thomas, a reserve for Penn, committed suicide in April and was honored posthumously just last weekend. According to researchers, he, too, showed early signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

• Childhood trauma. Researchers know that exposure to trauma at a young age can lead to an increased likelihood of depression and mental illness later in life. (Studies have also shown that growing up in a single-parent household can increase the risk.) Think about how many "athlete narratives" contain almost unimaginably bleak childhood episodes.

Apart from medication and therapy, mental health can be improved by social stability and a solid home life. For all the perks of playing sports for a living, social stability does not rank high on the list. From the road games to the constant possibility of a trade to an all-consuming regular season to the dissonance that accompanies coming into vast sums of wealth overnight, sports are hardly conducive to social stability.

* * *

The wheels of progress tend to turn slowly in sports. But they do rotate. As mental health has become better understood and accepted in the mainstream -- where the National Institute of Mental Health suggests that a quarter of American adults suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year -- so too are psychological issues beginning to lose some of their stigma in sports. In recent years a welter of athletes in a variety of sports (Jennifer Capriati, Joey Votto, Stephane Richer) have unashamedly admitted to battling mental illness. It was the inimitable Ron Artest who, during his memorable monologue after the NBA Finals, expressed profuse thanks to his psychiatrist.

In this excellent recent article, my colleague Pablo Torre notes that Royals pitcher Zack Greinke is even hailed as the "Jackie Robinson" of mental illness. Greinke missed most of an entire season to address and treat social anxiety disorder and clinical depression. Crediting therapy and anti-depressants, he returned to win the Cy Young Award. "Whether he likes it or not, [Greinke] is the guy who really paved the way for the modern player to come out about these issues," Mike Sweeney, a former teammate, told SI.

Scan the injured reserve or disabled list and, likely for the first time, explanations of "social anxiety" and "stress-related" are among the listed causes. To Ricky Williams' point, athletes now can have a credible reason for missing games even if the malady doesn't appear on an X-Ray or MRI.

In some cases, teams and leagues and even college programs have gone proactive, educating athletes and making psychiatrists, psychologists and mental health experts readily available. In Torre's story, source after source suggested that the culture in sports is, finally, shifting. As it should be. Athletes like Kenny McKinley might appear to be made of steel on the outside. Inside? They're simply as prone to mental illness as the rest of us -- likely more so.

A Successful Off-Season Is On You

2010-09-22T10:36:00.001-07:00

:: A SUCCESSFUL OFF-SEASON IS ON YOU ::

Not too long ago, Patrick Kane ended the 2009-2010 NHL season with a goal on Michael Leighton that I am sure Leighton wants back. For many, the Blackhawks victory signaled the end of another hockey season and a wait for the next season to begin. Waiting though for the next season is what often gets goaltenders of all ages and levels in trouble.

The end of the National Hockey League season often coincides with the end of the school year. For many goaltenders this is the start of summer holidays. Hockey is often put on the backburner as the weather is warm, holidays with families and friends are booked and the motivation to work on becoming a better goaltender is hard to be found externally. Hey who wants to work on improving their game now when hockey is still months away?

The fact is every goaltender should want to work on improving their game at this time of year yet it is often a very select few that complete physical, on-ice and mental training in June and July. A goaltender who is not working on improving their game is falling behind the competition in my mind. I see it every year, mid to late August goaltenders hit the panic button and begin to attempt to fix their game in a short period of time. Some are successful yet for the most part the athletes who leave their training to the last minute are overcome by “the other guy.”

“The other guy” is often the goaltender who has committed to making himself a better goaltender throughout the summer and has put the repeated time and effort into both their on and off ice training that ensures that when tryouts start back up they are comfortable with the physical, technical and mental skills that they have been taught. Ask any goaltender and they will agree that when learning a new skill of any sorts it takes completing the skill multiple times before it becomes habit. Many goaltenders who enter into tryouts with little training fail to perform at their best because they have not created the muscle or mental memory to complete a newly learned skill quickly and decisively.

So why is it that most athletes leave their training to the last minute if success is found by creating that muscle and mental memory though training throughout the summer? The answer is motivation. The external motivation of upcoming tryouts or making the highest team possible is not as readily available in the middle of summer.

Without the external motivation that is missing in action during the earlier portion of the summer the responsibility for creating that motivation must come from within the athlete.

Motivation is one of the strongest factors in successful athletes. Motivation is that internal force that determines all aspects of our behavior from how we think to how we feel. In sport, being highly motivated is widely believed to be a prerequisite for ensuring that athletes reach their full potential. Elite athletes have been found to have a large amount of intrinsic motivation and you too can increase your intrinsic motivation.

Intrinsic motivation comes from within where extrinsic motivation comes from outside, examples of this include such factors as money, winning a trophy or avoiding punishment. Intrinsic motivation is considered to be the healthiest form of motivation and often the amount of intrinsic motivation often relates to the amount of success an athlete experiences.

One way to increase your amount of intrinsic motivation is through goal setting. Goals set by yourself to become a better athlete will help to give you that energy and desire in the middle of the summer when taking a break is the easier option. The problem is that goal setting has been given a bad name by athletes and coaches who fail to understand goal setting in full. When goals are set properly and for the athlete they can be found to be highly effective in providing that extra motivation throughout the summer.

Another technique for increasing intrinsic motivation is through positive self-talk. Throughout the summer your negative or unconstructive self-talk will attempt to take over. Thoughts like “it’s too hot outside,” “I’m on vacation” or “I’m too tired or soar today” are often used by athletes to take the day off which can lead to weeks of inactivity. Surround yourself with positive self-talk that gets you excited to work hard and improve your game and you will find that you can tap into a supply of motivation that you may have never experienced before.

A third technique for increasing motivation is through creating movies in your mind. Imagery of what you will become if you work hard throughout the summer and experiencing success in the fall during tryouts will help you to stay in control of your improving game. Running images in your mind will allow you to see what you are working towards and why you should work hard through vivid and realistic images.

Good goalies seldom ever become great goaltenders during the hockey season. This may be when the goaltender gets the acknowledgement for all of their hard work but the work was often completed well in advance to the start of the season. Physical, technical and mental skills will improve greatly if the athlete is given the opportunity to work on the aspects when the pressure is not as present and the athlete does not feel rushed to improve quickly. Looking for ways to increase your motivation now? The Athletes Well is filled with 54 ways to increase your motivation and ensure that come tryout time you will be performing at your best. If you have any questions, comments or concerns please feel free to email me atssmith@absolutementaltraining.com!

Practice Is When Goalies Become Great

2010-09-22T10:35:00.000-07:00

:: PRACTICE IS WHEN GOALIES BECOME GREAT ::

Shaun Smith is the founder of Absolute Mental Training and provides The Goalie Guild with a weekly column that is posted every Tuesday. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to email him atssmith@absolutementaltraining.com!

On June 26, 2010, Andy Strickland tweeted, “A highly rated kid told NHL teams in his interviews that his least favourite part of hockey is the practice! That’s why you fell out of 1st round!” Nothing’s worse than telling your future potential bosses that the one thing you dislike about the sport that you play is the hard work that will ensure that you become a great player. No player or goalie has made it to the National Hockey League without a lot of hard work and this ill advised answer sent a highly touted prospect out of what surely would have meant millions of dollars for being a first round draft pick.

By no means am I going to tell you that athletes enjoy pushing themselves to the point where they feel like they may get sick or the inability to climb stairs after a gruelling workout, but it is in those gruelling workouts that good athletes become great. This is why scouts and coaches look for athletes who want to get better and who understand the value of practice. Don’t believe me? Look again at the same draft and the Phoenix Coyotes 27th overall pick that surprised many experts when they drafted Mark Visentin. While many were surprised that Visentin was drafted so high his comments after the draft highlighted to me why the Coyotes were willing to take Mark with such a high pick. Visentin stated in an interview with Niagara this week that “Practices are huge for me. I try to bring my great work ethic and I think it feeds off onto the other players. When you practice hard it shows during a game.”

There is no such thing as flicking a switch and turning it on when it is game time. Many athletes who fail to work hard in practice often tell me that they can turn it on when it is game time. The truth is that failing to compete in practice leads to bad habits. These bad habits will show up during your games and will result in poor goals and performances.

The proof is very evident in athletes who fail to prepare or work hard in practices. Poor practices will result in the following:

- Little or no improvement
- Loss of focus
- Loss of drive
- Decrease in confidence
- Letting down others
- Poor tryouts
- Weak games

Looking to improve your practices? Ensure that you are working on the following:

- Work hard. Be the first one on the ice and the last one off of the ice every time as well as being the hardest working person on the ice.

- Create game situations and solutions to those game situations that will set you up for success.

- Work on your weaknesses. You will only be as good as your weakest skill set unless you work on your weaknesses. We all have weaknesses, even the most elite athletes, the secret is to know your weaknesses and work on making them your strengths.

- Be active. Continue to evolve your game and stay on top of new techniques that will help your game. Failing to recognize the transitions of today’s game has left many goaltenders without a job.

- Never Quit. Never quit on a puck. Elite goaltenders hate to be scored on in practice and work hard to ensure that they don’t get beat even during practice.

How you approach practices can have a dramatic effect on how you perform as a goaltender as well as the likelihood that a coach or scout is willing to take a chance on you. This was evident during this year’s draft when you look at the two very distinct stories of the unidentified player and Mark Visentin. Which athlete’s route do you want to follow? It’s up to you. Developing appropriate practice habits and creating a successful plan for each and every practice are skills that I regularly work on with athletes. I truly believe that no words can explain the importance of going to practice working hard and focusing on getting better every time on the ice. If you are not willing to put in the effort someone else will.

If you have any questions, comments or concerns please feel free to email me at ssmith@absolutementaltraining.com!

Goaltending & Mental Training = A Perfect Match

2010-09-22T10:33:00.001-07:00

:: GOALTENDING & MENTAL TRAINING = A PERFECT MATCH ::

Ken Dryden once was quoted saying, “Because the demands on a goalie are mostly mental, it means that for a goalie the biggest enemy is himself. Not a puck, not an opponent, not a quirk of size or style. Him. The stress and anxiety he feels when he plays, the fear of failing, the fear of being embarrassed, the fear of being physically hurt, all the symptoms of his position, in constant ebb and flow, but never disappearing. The successful goalie understands these neuroses, accepts them, and puts them under control. The unsuccessful goalie is distracted by them, his mind in knots, his body quickly following.”

It was reading quotes like this and playing the position that led me to study the mental side of the position of goaltending. Although the amount to which a goaltender is affected by their mental game is debatable, there is no doubt that no matter how technically or physically strong a goaltender is, he cannot ignore the mental side of the game.

Yet many goaltenders decide to ignore the mental side of their game. When I talk with these goalies, it is often not that they don’t appreciate the mental side of their game, but because they don’t know where to start or how to improve their mental skill set. The truth is that mental training is very similar to training which you already complete for physical or technical skills.

When completing physical or technical training, you become stronger either in the form of pure physical strength, or on a particular area of your game. Though repetitions, this strength is produced and you begin to gain an edge over where you were before you started training. By working on your backside push, you will gain the edge by having the ability to remain in your butterfly and push to wherever the puck may now be located. This does not happen on a whim. It takes practice. I am sure the first time you attempted or attempt a backside push, you only slid inches, but over time you develop the ability to push across your crease.

Mental training is no different. By working on specific mental skills, you will become stronger and be able to deal with a bad goal or a bad call from the referee. By developing skills through the introduction of new skills and the practicing of these new skills, you have the ability to overcome your mental blocks. Your mental training will allow you to have the skill set to handle whatever it is that is thrown at you during a game or season. This comes from working on your mental game, not ignoring it.

Another area which goaltending is much like mental training is flexibility. Goalies that are successful and have long careers do so because of their physical flexibility. They are able to fight against injuries because of their body’s ability to stretch in ways that the general population is unable to. Miikka Kiprusoff completes three hours of flexibility training each day. This allows him to play 70-plus games every season with no injuries.

A goaltender must also be flexible mentally, in that they must be ready and able to handle whatever situations may be thrown at them. A goaltender must be able to rebound from being cut from a team or from a bad call from the referee if they are to be successful. Being able to remain focused and keep your emotions under control are what allow goaltenders to continue to battle for very few spots at the NHL level as well as compete in games where things are not necessarily going their way.

Finally, a goaltender cannot just complete physical or technical training for a couple of sessions and expect that it will fix their game. It often takes months of training for the new skills to be fully learned so that they can occur with little to no thinking. Making a skill automatic takes thousands of repetitions and to be maintained takes consistent practice. How many times have you learned a new skill, yet because you did not use it, you forget how to use it or when to use it?

Mental training is no different. You must continually work on your mental skill set if you want to be successful. Take confidence for example if you fail to work on maintaining your confidence one bad game can lead to a string of games which are poor. Yet if you were to complete a mental training program that maintained your confidence you would be able to shake off this bad game and move on.

Mental training and goaltending is a perfect match. Yet many people have not welcomed mental training like they have physical and technical training to this date. I believe that part of the problem is that many goaltenders seek out mental coaches who don’t understand the demands of goaltending fully. When I was still playing competitively I sought out help with my mental game and was amazed with how little “expert mental coaches” understood about the position. This is what attracted me to my current career choice as I want to figure out what it was that goaltenders go through and how mentally they can overcome any obstacles that they may face. You wouldn’t go to a knee surgeon to have a surgery completed on your heart. Why go to a mental coach who doesn’t understand the position and the demands of the position. After years of research, I believe that my programs have been designed for goaltenders and the success stories of my goaltenders speak for themselves.

If you have any questions, comments or concerns please feel free to email me atssmith@absolutementaltraining.com!

Goalie Frustrations

2010-09-22T10:32:00.001-07:00

:: GOALIE FRUSTRATIONS ::

Today I was talking to a young goaltender who I have been working with to help him make quadrant hockey for the first time, when we got on the topic of consistency. The young goaltender who I was working with has been struggling with consistency and feels like he may never become as consistent as the goalies he will be competing against in tryouts. This young goalie is frustrated.

To help goaltenders out there, I wanted to start with a story about a young goaltender who, when he was good, he was great and when he was bad, he was really bad. This young goalie wore his heart on his sleeve and had a true love for the position of goaltender and it showed. When games were not going this goalie’s way, he would be quick to get upset and may have broken a few sticks. The better the hockey this goalie played, the more he expected out of his game and the more his frustrations towards his inconsistent play grew. It was at this time this goaltender decided that to be successful as a goaltender, he would need the help of a mental performance coach.

This goaltender was me.

So how about you? Do you get frustrated? Have you ever lost your cool? Maybe fellow athletes or coaches refer to you as a hot head? Do you hold onto the frustrations of the last goal? Game? You’re not alone.

Goalies everywhere are being taught to show no emotion after a goal. Showing emotions after a goal lets the other team know they have gotten to the goaltender and the goaltender’s team worry that the goaltender may be in trouble. These goaltenders then bottle up the negative emotions and frustrations of the previous goal in their mind which leads to blowouts or terrible performances.

The first step to overcome your frustrations and emotions from a bad goal is to realize that being frustrated about the goal is human nature. An angry reaction to a bad goal is the direct result of feeling as though we are capable of better. The intention of the anger which we feel after a goal is a positive one as it is produced with the intentions of driving us to be a better goaltender. Yet by getting angry, we end up shooting ourselves in the foot if we don’t find an appropriate release.

The key to resolving frustration is to honour the intention of wanting to play better through the process of learning. Each time that you allow a goal, use the goal as an opportunity to review what you did wrong and what it is that you can do next time so that you don’t experience these feelings again. Every single National Hockey League goaltender has allowed bad goals throughout their careers, but the key to their success is their ability to learn from their mistakes and become better at the parts of their game which they have been exposed.

Even today when I strap on the pads, I get frustrated when I have been scored on just like I did when I was a young goaltender with NHL aspirations. The difference is that I have learned how to let go of these frustrations and strive to learn from every goal that I allow. These same mental techniques have also helped many goaltenders which I work with varying in skill level from beginner to pro to experience the frustrations of being scored on as a positive and not allow one bad goal or game to lead them down the same path of inconsistency.

Shaun Smith is the founder of Absolute Mental Training and provides The Goalie Guild with a weekly column that is posted every Tuesday. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to email him at ssmith@absolutementaltraining.com!

Tryouts- Negative Thoughts And Nerves

2010-09-22T10:31:00.001-07:00

:: TRYOUTS – NEGATIVE THOUGHTS AND NERVES ::

Imagine for a second you are standing at the tee box (I know… golf… but I have a valid point) you look at the water that is about fifty yards in front of you and say to yourself, “I hope I don’t hit my ball into the water,” where’s your ball going? Most likely it’s going in the water. I don’t think that you need to be a mental expert to know that we always get what we are most focused on. This means that no matter what we are focusing on, either a positive or negative result or consciously or unconsciously will have a direct effect on our performance. Too often during high pressure situations we see athletes crumble and the cause often results in a poor mental makeup or simply ignoring the mental aspect of the game.

If you want to get nervous, focus on what you don’t want to happen, focus on the past or future and feel all of the nervousness, stress and doubts that will be created. The truth is that no one WANTS to create these negative feelings themselves but yet almost every athlete will create negative feelings all on their own.

For athletes to become successful, they must learn how to monitor their thoughts and images that are creating these negative emotions in their mind during competition and learn how to automatically replace these negative thoughts with positive images and thoughts. Athletes I work with begin to make this switch automatically so that whenever you find yourself focusing on what you don’t want, it automatically gets replaced with one that you do want, WITHOUT you thinking. This means that when you play, you can simply enjoy performing at your best and no longer are overwhelmed with negative thoughts or focusing on not thinking of negative thoughts.

The first step to an automatic mind is to determine the specific moments when you get tense, nervous or discouraged. Every athlete I work with will have a unique set of experience that creates their negative emotions. The best way to determine this is through visualization and previous performances. Look at competitions that you recently played in and replay the game in your mind keeping in tune with the emotions that you felt during the competition.

The key to visualization is to make the images in your mind realistic by recalling the ice sights, sounds, feelings in your muscles and your mind. If you find a moment where you were particularly nervous replay this event in your mind and determine the root cause of the negative feelings. Complete this activity for multiple competitions and you will soon discover a trend of events which trigger your negative emotions. Triggers can range from stepping on the ice for warm up to a bad call from the referee so look for those events that affect you.

The process of determining what causes you to be overcome with negative emotions or feelings is a very deliberate process but will help you to gain self awareness. By completing this activity you will now be able to understand what causes you to be overcome with negative emotions. This is only the first step in replacing the negative emotions with a positive emotion but I hope that it will help you to gain more self awareness in your game. Professional athletes are aware of what triggers them even if the answer of what triggers them is embarrassing.

Take It To The Grave

2010-09-22T10:21:00.000-07:00

By: Shaun Smith- Performance Mental Coach

Hockey is a game that is played at high speeds with a lot of emotions. One thing that all goaltenders must be conscious of is their thought process and the emotions that they evoke. A goaltender can lose control of their emotions, which often yields a poor performance by a negative thought that stays in their head. A goaltender that can quickly and efficiently get rid of a negative thought will be much more successful than many of their goaltender counterparts.

Many of the clients that I work with can get caught up by their negative thoughts and get stuck in a vicious cycle of negative thought, that produces a negative emotion, that produces a negative thought, and on and on. This thought-feeling cycle will then start to gain momentum to the point where the goaltender looks like those guys that are chasing the ball of cheese down the mountain side.

You don’t have to be that goaltender that loses control of your emotions if you are responsible in controlling your thoughts effectively. There are many different techniques for goaltenders to stop their negative thoughts before they spiral out of control. One technique that I like to use with my goaltenders is what I call “Take It to the Grave.”

Take it to the Grave is a thought stopping technique that, when used effectively, can allow the goaltender to mentally put to rest their negative thoughts and move on with their lives. Taking it to the grave works in two different ways which can be effective for the goaltender.

The first way to use the technique of taking it to the grave is to use the powerful tool of imagery to imagine taking your thought and burying it six feet under the ice where it can have no effect on your current emotional state.

Imagine seeing yourself digging a hole in the corner of the ice where you take your negative thought and bury it so that it is no longer a part of your thought process. Once you have stopped the thought replace the previous negative thought with a positive thought and you are on your way to controlling your thoughts and emotions.

The success of this technique is often the result of a goaltender that is willing to give it a try as well as the goalie that is able to make their imagery realistic.

The second way which you can use taking it to the grave is to allow yourself the opportunity to constructively release your negative thoughts when struggling to compete at the top of the game or when in a slump. In this technique, the goaltender will actually find some kind of material that they can carve into and write their negative thought onto your negative thoughts tombstone.

Once this activity is finished, the athlete takes the thought and buries it deep in the ground with the tombstone. Many times, athletes who are struggling can be found holding onto their negative thoughts. By holding onto their negative thoughts, they end up with a lot of negative emotions that they have no control over. This loss of control is one of the key factors to the helpless feeling of not having control over the athlete’s game. Burying the thought allows the athlete the chance to rid their mind of this helpless feeling.

An athlete’s success in their sport can often come down to the athlete’s ability to control their emotions. When an athlete can disturb a negative thought quickly and effectively the will be able to get back to stopping pucks and create a positive thought-emotion cycle which will allow them to feel good about their game and lead to success.

Shaun Smith is the founder of Absolute Mental Training. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to email him at ssmith@absolutementaltraining.com or visit Home

The Lessons My Grandpa Taught Me

2010-09-21T17:30:00.000-07:00

:: LESSONS FROM MY GRANDPA ::

By: Shaun Smith- Performance Mental Coach

This past Saturday, I spent the day celebrating and honouring my Grandpa’s life after an eight year battle with cancer. Growing up I thought there was nothing that my Grandpa couldn’t do. He excelled in everything that he did from farming to playing sports such as golf, curling and baseball. My Grandpa was my role model and taught me many valuable lessons about life; I thought I would share some of those lessons with you.

To Be Successful You Need to Work Hard – My Grandpa was an incredible athlete and farmer. He experienced a ton of success throughout his life whether he was in a field working or at a sporting arena. The secret to all my Grandpas successes laid firmly on his devotion and commitment to working hard regardless of what he decided he would do. Athletes all talk about how hard they work but the problem with many athletes is they only work hard when others are watching or work as hard as they have to. To achieve success in sports and life you need to work hard even when no one is watching.

Work Hard but Play Harder – My Grandpa was the hardest worker I have yet to meet yet he also took time to recharge through his leisure activities. Many of my earliest memories of my Grandpa are outings that were held at my Grandpas home with many of his closest friends and family. Later when in school I began to realize that these outings were more than just an enjoyable time. They allowed my Grandpa to continue to work hard without getting burnt out. I see many athletes who are experiencing burnout and the number one reason why they are experiencing burnout is because they fail to mix their hard work with periods of time where they are able to recharge.

Young Children NEED To Play More Then One Sport – As stated earlier my Grandpa excelled at golf, baseball and curling but he also played many other sports. My Grandpa was very athletic yet he excelled at three sports not one. Today parents and children spend all of their time and money on one sport which often leads to frustrations and/or burnout from this sport. In my opinion athletes need to find more than one sport that they enjoy so that they can enjoy their offseason from one sport and continue to improve their overall athletic abilities. One thing that I remember growing up was the excitement and nervous feeling that I used to get when I knew that the start of one of the many sports that I played growing up was nearing. Too many athletes these days don’t get the chance to experience this feeling as they play their one sport all year.

Learn How to Laugh and Get over Your Mistakes - I remember one year my Grandpa showed up at a Curling Bonspiel that I was competing in. I was the skip for my team and in the final end I missed a shot that I should have made but I pushed the rock slightly on my release. I had blown an opportunity to win my first bonspiel as a skip and was very angry with myself for making the mistake. I remember seeing my Grandpa afterwards and he immediately began giving me a hard time about missing the shot. I was furious at my Grandpa for making a joke about my mistake but soon after realized he was helping me to release and get reset. As athletes we are all going to make mistakes but the key to all mistakes is to learn from your mistake and learn to laugh at the mistake you made. Too many athletes get caught up on worrying about a past mistake and how it will be perceived by others or making the same mistake again. We’re all human and will make mistakes those who excel are often able to laugh about the mistake they have made, move on from their mistakes and get refocused.

Have Fun Doing What You Are Doing – My Grandpa spent some time in Long Term Care and on one instance a nurse approached my Grandpa and asked him what he did for work? My Grandpa replied “I’m a farmer.” The nurse then asked if my Grandpa enjoyed what he did. Without my hesitation my Grandpa said yes. My Grandpa farmed up until he was no longer able to not because he had to but because he loved to. Too many athletes play their sport because of money or because someone they love wants them to play their sport. The truth is if you yourself don’t love your sport you need to determine if you can love the sport and recreate your love for the sport.

I hope that you have enjoyed some of the life lessons that my Grandpa has passed onto me and that I have done my Grandpa justice as to explain my Grandpa fully would take too many pages. Remember to take a few minutes to look at the special people in your life and the life lessons that you have learnt from them. You may be surprised at what lessons they can bring to your game.

If you have any questions, comments or concerns please feel free to email me at ssmith@absolutementaltraining.com
Copyright 2009 by Absolute Mental Training, LTD
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What Now For Carey Price? Managing Expectations

2010-09-20T11:24:00.003-07:00

What Now For Carey Price? Managing Expectations

By: Shaun Smith- Performance Mental Coach

The trade of Jaroslav Halak to the St Louis Blues marked the start of another chapter in the growth of Carey Price and the Montreal Canadiens. Halak, who carried the Canadiens into the playoffs and past the Capitals and Penguins was made a legend in Montreal but Halak did not play his way onto the 2010-2011 Canadiens team as many fans and media personnel may have thought. Instead the Montreal Canadiens went with the future and rolled the dice with Carey Price. So what does this mean for Carey Price and the Montreal Canadiens in this upcoming hockey season? We’ll have to wait and see but one thing is for sure Price will need to learn how to manage expectations set on him by his team and his fans for the team to have success.

Jaroslav Halak stole the show last year and brought a Canadiens team that looked doomed to be golfing at the end of the regular season into the playoffs and on a rememberable playoff run. Price was to be the guy last year but Halak came in and won the hearts and trust of the coaches and fans. So what does trading Jaroslav Halak do for the expectations that will be placed on Carey Price in the upcoming season?

The truth is the expectations will be mixed. Some of the fans and media expect that nothing will change and Price will continue to fail to reach up to their expectations that have been placed on him ever since he was unfairly compared to the next Patrick Roy. These fans will be negative right off of the hop and will be all over Price’s every mistake no matter how minute. Comparisons to what Halak did at the end of last season will be made unfairly right off of the get go.

The other side of the fans and media will expect that Carey Price to carry the team the way that he has showed in glimpses throughout his short career. These people will have high expectations of Price carrying them back to the playoffs and to another Eastern Conference Final, if not deeper. These fans and media will expect Price to steal games on a regular basis for his team and failure to do so will result in angry fans.

No matter what side of the fence you sit on one thing is for certain and that is Carey Price at a young age will need to learn fast how to handle expectations quickly. Teams, players and goaltenders have all been eaten alive by expectations that were set on them by fans and media personnel.

Expectations are placed on all of us. We set expectations to get something done by a particular date or get a promotion at our job by a certain time. Bosses place expectations on employees to show up to work and complete a task. Playing professional sports comes with expectations which are often determined by a multitude of factors including the particular market the athlete is in, the previous season, and players that are brought in to help the team.

Think of times when you have had expectations placed on yourself. No matter what the situation was I am sure that you felt the added pressure to get the job done because someone or a group of people expected you to get the job done. The pressure was most likely related to the amount of confidence you went into the task with that you could get the job done. Athletes experience expectations and the pressure related to the expectations in their daily lives just like you have in the past so how do you deal with expectations when they may not be realistic or within your reach? How does Carey Price deal with the expectations which have been put on him due to the recent success of Halak and the Canadiens?

There are many different factors which need to be examined to ensure that Price handles these expectations correctly including managing his emotions within the game, being able to handle the rollercoaster which will be the upcoming season, learning how to handle pressure appropriately, increase and maintain his confidence throughout the season but the biggest factor that will determine if Price experiences success this upcoming season will be his ability to ignore the expectations that others place on him and set realistic and obtainable expectations for each and every time that he hits the ice. Carey Price will need to focus on one game, one practice at a time. If he can do this than Price will have a great season and will be in the best possible situation to put his team back into the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The expectations that the fans are putting on Carey Price may or may not be realistic for the upcoming season but the truth is Price will not have a successful season unless he reaches out and gets some help with his mental game. Price will need to learn how to manage the expectations that he places on himself as well as the expectations that others place on him. This is what being the goaltender in a hockey crazy market like Montreal asks of their goaltenders. Price has the ability but he will need to back up his technical and physical attributes with a much stronger mental game this year. If you have any questions, comments or concerns please feel free to email me at ssmith@absolutementaltraining.com

Why Teams Fail

2010-09-20T11:24:00.001-07:00

Why Teams Fail

By: Shaun Smith- Performance Mental Coach

Hockey is a great team sport. There has never been a team that has won the Stanley Cup because of one elite athlete. Hockey teams win because they work together to become something greater than they are as individual hockey players. A great hockey team can be compared to a large dogsled team. When the dog team is running together they can pull a lot of weight quite quickly but when one dog decides that he no longer wants to work or decides he wants to go another direction the entire team is brought down. Hockey teams are very similar. A great example was the growth of Lee Stempniak after being traded to Phoenix from Toronto. In Toronto he was struggling to get points but once he joined the Phoenix Coyotes he had an offensive explosion. When interviewed about his recent success Stempniak attributed his point explosion to his new team who were closer knit than any team he had ever seen.

Great hockey teams win because of the group not the individuals. Look at the teams which were unable to earn a playoff spot and you will find that these teams failed to come together as a team or had one or two squeaky wheels. So what is it that these teams fail to do? The list is long but here are some of the factors that I have found lead to unsuccessful teams in my work with teams:

Moaning and Complaining- When teammates moan and complain it brings down the moral of the entire team.
Blaming Other People- Teams that fail often do so because they blame each other or people outside of the team for their setbacks. Blaming others is often an easy scapegoat. Instead of having to deal with issues as a team and investing the energy on working on what actually resulted in the setback to ensure it won’t happen again these teams spend their energy blaming other people. The other people can range from referees, league officials, schedule makers, media and the other teams.

Inability Or Reluctance To Deal With Issues- Teams that I have worked with that fail often do not deal with issues regarding the team at all. They are often very reluctant to buy in to what the team is trying to do. This creates a wave throughout the team where little work is being done and the players begin to hate what they are doing. This can often lead to tempers flaring within the dressing room.

Dominating Negative Thoughts- Teams that are negative very seldom win. It is often hard to tell which one came first the negative thoughts or the negative results but one thing is for certain is that the two feed off each other creating more negative energy and even worse results. It is almost entirely impossible to be negative as a team and still experience success. Yet for many teams they don’t want to be negative however the negative thoughts often silently attack the players.

Small Cliques Within The Team- Teams that fail often do not come together as a group. Instead they create small cliques within the team. These cliques often create a gang sort of mentality where their group is better. This does not allow the team to play as a group but often creates more negative thoughts and actions within the team’s environment. Teams who spend time together and whose players are willing to get to know each other are the teams which experience success.

Deferring Tough Decisions- Teams that fail often are unable to make the big decisions. Who to trade, who to bring in, should the athlete receive surgery or not are all examples of tough decisions which are often not made. As a result of the tough decisions not being made the team often sits in lieu without a definite answer. This often can create tension within the dressing room, especially if it involves the future of one or more of the players.

Over Reliance On Team Captains Or Star Players- Teams that don’t win do so often because they rely too heavily on their leaders or star players to make it all happen. I have seen this time and time again. The coach and players almost seem to hide behind the star player in hopes that they can all jump on his back and he can carry them the way. The problem with this is that hockey is a team sport and as so needs the entire team to be working towards a goal. When the star player can no longer score or becomes injured the team suffers.

· Lack Of Team Commitment- Team commitment is probably the biggest predictor of if the team is going to win or lose on any given night. Teams who are committed to a team system that they believe could work are often the teams who win. If one or more of the players does not believe in the system or is not committed to doing the work to implement the system the team will fail. Commitment is doing whatever is necessary to win. This could often mean a change in role for one or more of the players to a less attractive role but when the players put the we before the me and accept the less attractive role teams win.

What team will win this year’s Stanley Cup is anyone’s guess but what I do know is that the team that will win the cup will need more than just talent to be successful. Great hockey teams need a shared vision and a commitment to achieve success. This often starts with the leaders including the coaches. This is why some of the smartest coaches I have ever worked with have recognized the need to bring myself in to ensure that the team can grow as a collective whole instead of a group of individuals. Yet many teams still believe that naturally things will come together. Unfortunately this seldom works and this is why teams who are favored to win often lose. If you have any questions, comments or concerns please feel free to email me at ssmith@absolutementaltraining.com
Copyright 2009 by Absolute Mental Training, LTD
All Rights Reserved. No part of this work covered by the copyright herein may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means- graphic, electronic, or mechanical without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any request for photocopying, recording, taping or information storage and retrieval systems of any part of this article shall be directed to Absolute Mental Training, LTD (403) 808-7818.

Is My Child Too Young?

2010-09-20T11:23:00.003-07:00

Is My Child To Young

By: Shaun Smith- Performance Mental Coach

This past week I received an email from a parent who was following my articles and wanted to know if her nine year old child was too young for mental training. She said that it was obvious to her (being an athlete growing up) that the troubles that her child is having in games is the result of his current mindset. "In practice he is one of the best players on his team, but his
confidence in games is low. He seems very tentative and willing to let others do the work.”

My answer to her and every parent or child that is out there is that children are never too young to be exposed to mental training. Younger athletes that I work with have had less time to make their mental blocks habit and because of this are able to change their current mental training approach with much more ease.

When looking at mental training for our youth what is important is to look at how the information is presented and the mental training coaches’ ability to understand the demands of the sport. When athletes are younger it's important for the mental training coach to keep the concepts simpler and easy to understand. Children at this age are very intelligent and can learn quite quickly if the information is presented in the right way.

The mental training coach that you are working with should use terms that your child can understand. Too many mental training coaches try to use terminology that although is understood within the industry, the general public, let alone children have a hard time understanding what is being said or what to do. Priding myself on being able to present the material to each athlete is one area where growth in my athletes has been a direct result of using terminology and techniques that the athlete I am working with understands.

There are many advantages to exposing children to mental game training early on, they include:

First, mental training skills will become part of athletes' consciousness and vocabulary. They will integrate mental training concepts naturally into their learning. Athletes who often struggle with performance do so because of bad habits that were introduced to their game at a young age. Its true athletes who often choke in big games will be more likely to do so when in the situation again. It’s a matter of habit but can be easily transformed when the athlete is still a child.

In addition, when children embrace mental training early on, they develop confidence in themselves and what they are doing. They learn strategies for keeping and enhancing that confidence even in the face of adversity rather than simply reacting negatively when their performance is not perfect.

Mental training also helps children understand that they're not "bad" or "losers" if they make mistakes or lose a game or competition. With some exposure to mental training at a young age, children learn to not judge themselves based on their performance. You don't want children to label themselves as losers.

What's more, the lessons that are being taught through mental training has a direct transfer to school and other aspects of their lives. For example, if they learn techniques for focusing well in sports, they can apply these strategies to completing their homework on a timely manner or other activities.

As parents and coaches, you should focus on the numerous benefits of sports psychology. With some mental training, athletes will improve their consistency, boost their confidence, improve their focus and learn how to practice smarter and harder. Remind your athletes that they're not sick or broken if they choose to embrace mental training. They're smart and more likely to gain a mental edge and beat out the competition! Want to learn more about how to improve your sports parenting skills and ensure your young athletes make the most of their physical abilities? If you have any questions, comments or concerns please feel free to email me atssmith@absolutementaltraining.com
Copyright 2009 by Absolute Mental Training, LTD
All Rights Reserved. No part of this work covered by the copyright herein may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means- graphic, electronic, or mechanical without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any request for photocopying, recording, taping or information storage and retrieval systems of any part of this article shall be directed to Absolute Mental Training, LTD (403) 808-7818.

The Impact of Loss

2010-09-20T11:23:00.001-07:00

Olympic Games- The Impact of Loss

Written By: Shaun Smith- Absolute Mental Training

Olympic officials have confirmed that it was in fact not the course conditions but maybe the inexperience or inability of Georgians Luge athlete which lead to his tragic death. Great news for many people involved with this year’s Olympics but does this mean that the thoughts of safety and injury are out of the athlete’s minds?

Athletes and officials were completely shocked when the February 12, 2010 incident occurred which saw the Georgian Luge athlete lose control and have his body sent flailing out of the course and into a pole. Athletes made many comments which showed respect for their fellow athlete but many of them were both shocked at the severity of the injury and made mention that this could be a reminder of the dangers in sport.

Injury, especially one of this magnitude can have a dramatic affect on the athlete’s minds. Athletes begin to question their safety and thoughts of “Am I safe” or “What if I get injured” begin to cross their minds. These thoughts then often create negative images of crashes they have both seen, heard of or been a part of. The impact of an injury begins to be recreated in the mind and begins to become a realistic possibility again. The thought of being injured again also impacts the athlete’s confidence in their abilities to perform the sport at an elite level. No longer do they believe that they are above injury and the gentle reminder that they too could become hurt weighs heavily on their every thought. Negative thoughts and second guessing their ability can lead to more injuries because the athlete no longer will trust their instincts that were developed over years of training but will begin second guessing their every move. In sport, decisions are made within milliseconds and a second thought can lead to injury as the athlete will not make the appropriate reaction.

Injuries can be a gentle reminder that we as athletes are not superheroes or immortal. They can lead to a loss of confidence in our abilities and a fear of being injured. Our athletes will have to focus on getting back into their sport quickly, staying positive and focusing on their breathing. Positive thoughts and breathing will keep them in the present; thoughts about the past and future will only harm our athlete’s mentality. The men’s Luge athletes will go back to work today but from the women’s distance. This is a great tool in allowing the athletes to slowly work their way back to the speeds which caused this horrific crash. Let’s stay positive and hope for an injury free day and weeks going forward.

Copyright 2009 by Absolute Mental Training, LTD
All Rights Reserved. No part of this work covered by the copyright herein may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means- graphic, electronic, or mechanical without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any request for photocopying, recording, taping or information storage and retrieval systems of any part of this article shall be directed to Absolute Mental Training, LTD (403) 808-7818.

The Pressure Of The Olympics

2010-09-20T11:22:00.001-07:00

The Pressures Of The Olympic Games

Written By: ShaunSmith- Absolute Mental Training

Forthe upcoming Olympic Games the pressure is on the home team to shine this yearin Vancouver. Canadians everywhere have set high expectations for theirOlympians and are going for more medals, no matter what colour, than any othercountry.

TheOwn The Podium program was set up to help our athletes gear up for the Olympicson home territory. OTP is the $117-million, five-year plan established in 2004to prepare the host team to win medals in 2010. The federal government, i.e.taxpayers, funded $66 million of it and the Vancouver organizing committeecovered most of the remainder. The goal of the program is for Canadian athletesto win more medals than any other country this year in Vancouver.

In2006, Canada finished third overall with a total of 24 medals so at firstglance it would appear as though this goal is within our Olympians reach. Thereis though, one small detail which we must consider and that is in the 1988Olympics Canada only brought home a total of five medals including no goldmedals. Canada is the only country to have hosted an Olympics without winning agold medal on our own soil.

Themental demands that will be placed on our Olympians cannot be overlooked. Formany of our Olympic athletes this will be their one chance to display what alltheir hard work was for and what us as tax payers were paying for. Whenwatching our Olympians at the upcoming Olympics keep in mind the following.

IfCanada is to achieve their goal that was set forth with the Own The Podiumprogram they will need to win a medal early to create some momentum. Thepressure of winning a medal early will be weighing heavily on all of Canada’sOlympic athletes. Imagine the pressure of thirty five million Canadians beingplaced on the shoulders of our medal hopefuls.

Theentire country will be looking on carefully waiting for that Olympic medal butfor many athletes the pressure will also come from having friends and family sonear. In Turin many of our Olympic hopefuls were performing in front of crowdswhere the red and white, that we wear proudly, was hard to find. In 2010 ourOlympic athletes will be performing in front of many friends and family thathave made the trek to Vancouver and area to watch their Olympians perform.

Whatthis pressure will mean to our Olympians is restless nights which could lead toillness or result in injury if our athletes do not take care of themselves.Pressure results in stress and stress can kill our Olympic athlete’s energylevels leaving their bodies unable to fight illnesses.

TheOlympics are unique in that because they are hosted every four years thepressure to perform at an athlete’s best is magnified. Hearts will be broken asathletes everywhere learn that their four years of hard work has come down to onesmall mistake that will keep them out of a medal. Compound this with the factthat for many Olympic athletes this may be their first and only trip to theOlympics and you begin to understand why they may put so much pressure onthemselves.

Noone can forget the Media’s effect on our Olympians this year. Already eachOlympian has been constantly reminded on a day-to-day basis that the Olympicsare around the corner with events like the torch relay and commercials airingon television radio and on print media. Add the fact that each event will beaired while us as Canadian viewers will be awake and you can see how ourOlympians can feel the pressure to perform in this year’s Olympics.

WhatI do as a mental performance coach is teach athletes how to perform underpressure. In essence, we are all performers. We all perform under pressure bothin life and in sport. The elite athletes who experience success are often notphysically or technically stronger but are able to perform when under pressure.Our athletes have been given the tools to handle pressure and perform at theirbest under pressure but they need our support.

Whatcan you and I do to help our Olympic athletes in their pursuit for more Olympicmedals than any other country this year in Vancouver? We can inspire ourathletes to greatness. We can show up to each and every venue in our red andwhite, waive our Canada flags and be heard. The added motivation of our chantscan quickly allow our athletes to forget about the pressure of performing andprovide them with that needed energy late in their event.

Finally,Canada lets silence those critics. Once we get on a roll it is pivotal forCanadians everywhere to show our support and instill a belief into each of ourathletes that they too can win an Olympic medal. Momentum will be huge and ifeach athlete begins to believe that they too can win a medal we will be able tocarry this momentum right into the closing ceremonies.

Copyright 2009 by Absolute Mental Training, LTD
All Rights Reserved. No part of this work coveredby the copyright herein may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means-graphic, electronic, or mechanical without the prior written permission of thepublisher. Any request for photocopying, recording, taping or informationstorage and retrieval systems of any part of this article shall be directed toAbsolute Mental Training, LTD (403) 808-7818.

My Battler Mindset

2010-09-20T11:21:00.001-07:00

My Battler Mindset

By: Shaun Smith- Absolute Mental TrainingThe Canadian Remembrance Day and Americans Veterans Day is an important day in that it honours the millions of soldiers that have gone into battle for our country. These soldiers did and still do risk their lives to ensure the safety of billions of people with little or no thanks. On this Remembrance and Veterans Day I hope that you take some time out of your day to honour these brave soldiers. Once you have done this take some time think about what you can learn from soldiers that can help you as an athlete. Some time ago I was working with an athlete who would use any excuse to allow himself to fail during his sport. Illness or just chalking up a poor performance to a bad day was frustrating to everyone who had helped this athlete become one of best athletes at his level. It was during one of our sessions that I tied his love for studying war with his athletic career and designed the Battler Mindset. The Battler Mindset is something that I now use often with the athletes I work with to help them to compete on a regular basis. For many athletes not feeling good or struggling to play because of tough luck become excuses for struggling to play at our best and allows us to think its okay to have a poor performance. In war, soldiers are not able to allow themselves to lose because a loss could end up in the death of their fellow soldiers or themselves. There are many factors which are common between sports and war which is why the Battler Mindset is quite simple. Ask yourself what mental characteristics make a great soldier? Once you have thought about what makes a soldier great decide how you can use these characteristics on the battlefield of your sport. Not sold on the list that you have come up with; below is a list of mental characteristics that I believe make a soldier great and every great athlete contains these same characteristics:

1. Aggressive- Mentally tough athletes are aggressive when they experience success. Just like a soldier, an athlete who is not aggressive will find themselves backed into a corner where they cannot get out of. Being aggressive is often the key to any sport so practice working on being aggressive and making plays happen within your sport.

2. Committed- Great soldiers are committed to fighting for their country and their fellow soldiers. Commitment is the willingness to do what’s necessary to get the result you want. Mentally tough athletes focus their time and energy on their goals and dreams. Setting goals that follow your dreams will help you to reach your goals and dreams.

3. Competitive- Great soldiers, just like athletes, are extremely competitive. They hate to lose. A competitor will find a way to win. Competitors take bad breaks and use them to drive themselves just that much harder. They know how to get rid of the distractions that may be bothering them and are focused on the ultimate goal of winning.

4. Composure- Soldiers need to stay composed when faced with great adversity in the line of battle. If they were to lose their composure they would risk both their lives and those of their fellow soldiers. Mentally tough athletes know how to stay focused and deal with adversity. Even in big games they are able to keep themselves focused on factors which are relevant to their sport.

5. Confident- Great soldiers believe that they are great and they can accomplish anything that they put their mind to. Confident athletes have that same can-do attitude, a belief that they can handle whatever comes their way. By seeing and believing in yourself you can create those confident feelings even when you may be struggling. Confidence can be built through positive self-talk and Imagery.

6. Consistency- Great soldiers are able to show up even when physically they are beaten or tired. Just like great soldiers, great athletes possess an inner strength that allows them to play at their best even when they’re feeling their worst. They don’t make excuses. You can gain consistency through a strong pre-game plan.

7. Control- Soldiers have to be able to control their emotions and arousal level in the face of great adversity. Losing control of their emotions could put their lives at risk. Successful athletes are able to control their emotions and behaviour. They focus on what they can control and don’t allow things that are out of their control to affect them.

8. Courage- Soldiers are the most courageous people in the world. They are willing to risk their own lives for the greater good of the world. Mentally tough athlete must be willing to take a risk as well. That’s what peak performers do. You must be willing to try and if you fail, learn that you have not failed but rather are learning.

9. Dependability- Great soldiers are dependable. No matter the situation they are reliable in the face of battle and can be depended on when times are tough. Great athletes are equally dependable as they need to be trusted by the rest of their team during the big games to make things happen. Hold yourself to being dependable and you will be the go to guy when times are tough.

10. Decisiveness – Soldiers, both past and present, have to have the ability to make decisions promptly. Sports are often about a series of decisions which need to be made quickly, promptly and successfully if the athlete is to experience success. Work on trusting your instincts and working on your decision making process so that you can be successful when it matters.

11. Humility- Humility is one of the greatest characteristics that athletes can learn from soldiers. Athletes who are humble often are the best athletes in their sport because they have a modest opinion of their importance and current skill level. By being modest they can continue to work towards being the best. When an athlete fails to be humble they believe that there is no room for improvement and fail to get better. Be humble so that you can continue to improve everyday as an athlete.

12. Love The Game- Soldiers love what they do. They love that they are doing something to make the world a better place. Just like soldiers, mentally tough athletes love the game. They love making big plays, quality competition, the challenge and everything else that has to do with playing their sport. Love can inspire great performances. Love is one of the most powerful forces available to us as human beings. Love for the game can overcome fear. All great athletes share a love for the game. Re-create your love for the game and you will gain success.

13. Persevering- Great soldiers are just like great athletes in that they persevere though the largest of obstacles and never give up. Athletes who persevere are athletes who maintain a purpose in spite of difficulty, obstacles or discouragement. No matter what the score may be or what is going on within the game or in their personal life these athletes maintain a focus and fight through everything. Champion athletes don’t know how to give up.

14. Personal Accountability- Soldiers are expected to be accountable for their actions and if not can be dismissed early. Athletes who are personally accountable are able to take the responsibilities that come with being an athlete in their sport and ensure that they complete the tasks assigned to their position. Hold yourself personally accountable for your actions within your sports and you will experience success in your sport.

15. Positive Attitude - Soldiers need to have a positive attitude or they will find themselves at risk very quickly. Mentally tough athletes, just like soldiers, have a positive attitude. Athletes cannot allow their negative thoughts take over or they will find themselves in a tough spot failing to perform at their best.

16. Pride - Great soldiers take pride in what they do on a regular basis and value the opportunity to continue to do this on a regular basis. Great athletes are just like great soldiers in that they won’t let tough luck stop them from performing their tasks on a regular basis. They take pride in their hard work and will continue to work hard in front of all obstacles.

17. Respect - Just like soldiers, athletes need to respect their fellow teammates and coaches so that they can be a part of the team and work towards a goal. An athlete can have the greatest coaches in the world but if he does not respect the coach he will not learn anything from the coach. Respect your coaches and teammates and they will be there for you during battle.

18. Senses of Deserving - Great soldiers believe that they deserve to be the best. This is why great soldiers make great leaders. Just like great soldiers, great athletes believe that they deserve to exhibit their abilities. When presented with an opportunity they will take it and won’t hold anything back. They feel as though they are good enough and they expect a good outcome. Others don’t expect success or they need permission to go for it. Remember, if you don’t believe you deserve a good outcome, it’s unlikely you’re going to make it happen.

19. Unselfishness – Great soldiers put themselves second. They fight for their fellow soldiers and their country and avoid providing for one's own comfort at the expense of others. Look at all great athletes and you will find a very unselfish person. They play hard not just for themselves but for their teammates and their teams’ followers.

20. Work Ethic - Somewhat related to pride, great soldiers have a very strong work ethic and never take a day off. Take a look at the athletes that are on the top of your sport and you will find athletes who work harder than anyone else in their respective sports. Make sure that you are not being out worked by your competition and you will experience success.

I hope that you find this list of characteristics that make up both great soldiers and athletes helpful. I call this my battler mindset in hopes that athletes will understand that when the going gets tough they need to get going. Tough luck cannot be an excuse for athletes. They need to push through any obstacles and the battler mindset allows you to fight as though you are fighting for your life. Visit your battler mindset regularly to remind yourself of what you need to do when faced with adversity.

The Importance Of An At-Bat Routine For Successful Hitting

2010-09-20T11:20:00.003-07:00

The Importance Of An At-Bat Routine For Successful Hitting Written By: Shaun Smith

Baseball is a mental game. No matter what you think of mental training there is no arguing this statement. Most of baseball happens between the ears. From the pitcher who must block out all distractions and hit a very small area with multiple types of pitches on a consistent basis to the fielder who has been standing in the field for much of the game but gets that one ball hit to him and has to make the big play to keep his team in the game to the hitter who must go up to the plate with a game plan and ensure that he has no doubts otherwise the pitch will be by him before he has even started to swing the bat. For this article I wanted to discuss the mental demands that are placed on a hitter and how an at-bat routine will yield success for when you are at the plate. Hitting is very mentally demanding. Hitters must have mental toughness and have a good plan to succeed at the plate. As a hitter your challenge is to stay confident even though most successful batters fail six out of ten times when at the plate. The demands on a hitter are mental and an at-bat routine can be the key to helping you achieve a successful approach to hitting every time.

Before we look at how mental training can help you become a more successful batter let’s look at what it is that success hitters do that make them successful. Successful hitters at all levels take to each at bat with a special mindset or what I call an at-bat routine which is used every time they are at the dish. They come up to the plate with a plan on how they are going to handle the pitcher that they are facing. Some of the questions they may ask themselves include: Are they going to swing away or wait for the perfect pitch? Are they looking for fastballs or junk? By coming up to the plate with a plan they feel confident and ready to face the pitcher which they are facing and will experience success more often because of this. As well, successful hitters know how to use the time in between pitches to their benefit. With much time between pitches successful hitters use this time to review but ensure that they release any thoughts that they may be having that will interfere with their next pitch. They also use this time to think strategy about the pitches which they have seen and what they think will becoming next. Baseball is a unique sport in that after every swing you have a very rare and unique opportunity to settle yourself down or regain your lost focus and prepare mentally for the next pitch. Do you think that you use an effective routine for each at-bat which allows you to perform at your best? Many hitters which I have worked have shocked me because for the most part they don’t have a pre-swing routine or that they do not approach the bat as effectively as they should. Many hitters do not have an effective at‐bat routine because they have way too many doubts, negative thoughts, or distractions in the batter’s box.

How you mentally prepare for each at‐bat is critical to you performing at your best. Although you can’t be a perfect hitter every time at the plate you can prepare yourself for good at‐bats. Preparation yields success. In fact, you spend more time preparing for a pitch than actually swinging the bat. How you prepare can have a huge impact on how your at-bat will go. I have worked with hitters who have negative thoughts and feelings even before reaching the batter’s box. Negative thinking creates a downward spiral effect during your at‐bat. If you allow negative thinking, such as "I can’t get a hit off of this pitcher," "This pitcher throws too fast for me," or "His curve ball is too good," your self‐doubt and negative thinking will cause you to fail at the plate every time. Your at‐bat routine does not start when you step foot in the batter’s box, as you might think. Hitting begins well before you take the first pitch. Your routine actually begins when you analyze the pitcher, predict what pitches you may expect, speed, movement, etc. and recognize the game situation, runners on base, and score, even before you step into the batter’s box. Your at-bat routine must start when you are in the on-deck circle and continue to the end of your at-bat.

I hope that through this article you have been able to understand the importance of an at-bat routine in ensuring that you experience success at the plate. I hope that through this article you will be able to analyze your current batting performance and make the appropriate changes to ensure that you experience success. As a mental training coach I hope to help you develop an at-bat routine that will help you to obtain success. Visit www.absolutementaltraining.com or email me at ssmith@absolutementaltraining.com

Using Mental Training To Drop Your Score On The Golf Course

2010-09-20T11:20:00.001-07:00

Using Mental Training To Drop Your Score On The Golf Course By Shaun Smith – Absolute Mental Training

Mental training for athletes is a relatively new performance enhancement tool but is picking up ground like no other area has been able to do. Professionals from all sports have begun to realize that with a little bit of mental training they can accomplish amazing feats. Bobby Jones was quoted saying that "golf is played on a five inch course- the distance between your ears. Johnny Miller said that "golf is 90 percent mental, the other 10 percent is perspiration. Mental training is not for the sick. Mental training is for golfers of all levels, from beginner to pro. One of the most publicized golfers who uses a mental training coach is Tiger Woods. Tiger Woods is one of the greatest golfers of all time yet he uses a mental training coach because he understands the demands placed on the mind during golf. Every movement, every decision, every thought must first go through your mind before you can swing the golf club. No longer can you as a golfer ignore the advantages that a mental training program can do for your golf game and decrease your score when out on the links.
Lets look at what benefits you can receive from a mental training program:

The first benefit of mental training is that mental training will provide you with direction through goal setting so that you can work towards being a better golfer. Goal setting can provide you with a road map to success. No longer will you be moving towards your goal of getting better blindly and without a solid plan.
A second benefit from mental training is learning how to focus on what it is that you are doing on the golf course. The golf course is full of distractions, including ourselves and our thoughts. Mental training is about learning how to shift your focus to the correct stimuli and then not allowing any distractions to creep into your mind and cause you to yip on a put or top a ball off of your drive.
A third benefit is that through mental training you can learn what your optimal arousal level is and how to enter this optimal arousal level on a regular basis. We all have an optimal arousal level where we can achieve almost anything. This is often called getting in the zone and research shows there is an optimal arousal level for each of us. The problem is that for each of us it is different and it may take working with a mental coach to find it and learn how to achieve it on a regular basis.
A fourth benefit is learning how to control your emotions. Many golfers I work with admit that they struggle to have a consistent round because one mistake or one bad shot changes their whole round and they become frustrated with their current game. This frustration takes over their round of golf and they can do nothing but spiral out of control into failure.
A fifth benefit for golfers through mental training is a pre-round routine as well as a pre-shot routine. Watch Tiger Woods next chance you can. He completes both routines every time that he is on the golf course. This allows him to commit to his shots and reassure himself that he has made the correct decision and can make this shot. Learn how to use a pre-round or pre-shot routine and you will lower your score.

My final thought for you is to remember that working on your mental game is no different then working on your physical game. It will take some time and effort but the time and effort that you put into mental training will yield a much higher success then you can ever imagine. That's why I guarantee my work because I know that with a little time and effort you will become a much better golfer in little time. Want to learn more or if you want to sign up for a mental training program so that you too can experience success visit www.absolutementaltraining.com

Parental Guidelines For Young Athletes

2010-09-20T11:19:00.001-07:00

Parental Guidelines for Young Athletes By Shaun Smith – Absolute Mental Training

Sports are great. They can teach your young children many of life’s toughest lessons; the joys of winning, the down of losing, not getting that job (getting cut from the team), the value of hard work and creating friendships. Although the benefits of sports cannot be argued the benefit of sports is often determined by the athlete’s parents. Parents are usually the most influential figures in a young athlete’s life. Many of our young athletes have been soured though by their parent’s reaction to sports. Young athletes look up to their parents and often will gauge their performances based on their parents’ reaction to how they played. But parents, how you affect your young athlete goes deeper then how you support your young athletes after a performance. Here is a brief document comprising a few pieces of advice that will help you to optimise your child’s experiences of sport. Start living these brief points and you will be ensuring that your young athlete will experience the positive results of playing sports. Here they are:
 Try to make your child’s experience of sport as fun and exciting as possible. Youth sports should be fun even after a loss. Often parents become consumed with the performance outcome of the competition that they forget that at a young age sport should be about enjoyment. Make it fun again for your young athlete and he will love coming to the sporting arena of choice every day.
 Don’t judge your athlete’s performance on the level of their performance. A successful game should be viewed as one where the young athlete has enjoyed their sport irrespective of their actual level of performance. At a young age, athletes are learning new skills. Just because Jimmy failed to pitch a no hitter or get a shutout does not mean that he will never make it as a professional athlete. He’s young, he’s learning, let him flourish and you will be thankful later.
 It is important to find out your child’s reasons for their participation and motivation in sport, rather than get stuck on your own. It is easy for parents to push their child for their own motivations, instead of letting them play for their own reasons. Regularly ask your children why they play their sport. You may be surprised to learn that they are playing because the equipment reminds them of being a robot or because they like to be with their friends. There is no reason for why your child plays sports unless the answer is because you want me to!
 A healthy and well-balanced lifestyle will impact positively on your young athlete’s performance. It is important to enforce a healthy diet, get the right amount of sleep, and develop the right balance between sport and academic commitments. Kids are growing! They need to eat right and get enough sleep to ensure that they can continue to have the energy to grow and play their sports. Don’t prioritize their sport above academic commitments regularly or you will be teaching them that school is not important. They may begin to hate school and want to quit when times get tough. All of these ingredients will help in building a successful young performer.
 As a parent it is important that you show respect for your child’s coaching staff, making sure that you maintain good lines of communication with them. Too often parents will voice their concerns or problems that they have with what the coach has done with their children. Your young athlete will feed off of this and lose respect for the coach or misinterpret what you have said about your coach to be negative and become confused if he should listen to his coach. If you have a problem with any of your child’s coaching staff, it is always to best to speak directly with the staff instead of taking matters into your own hands. Follow the following rule and you will keep your young athlete’s respect for their coach and have a good year: Never talk negatively about your coach or imply that your young athletes’ coach has done something wrong.
 Try to get your child to focus on being the best they can be, rather than focusing on being better than their fellow athletes and friends. Comparisons are very dangerous, because in sport there will always be athletes better than your child, and athletes that are worse than your child. Your child may think that he should get special treatment if you have compared him to his peers and become discouraged when he is not treated as the superstar that your comparison has created him to be. As well many young athletes may become frustrated because they will never be the best athlete in their sport. The chances of your child being the next great superstar like Wayne Gretzky or Tiger Woods is less likely than your chances of winning the lottery. Finally, many young athletes may begin to spend all their time comparing instead of playing the sport. The sport is supposed to be fun and by comparing constantly it becomes a competition not a arena to learn some valuable life skills and burn off energy. Try to get them to focus on their personal goals and achievements while ignoring the performances of others.
To conclude, parents you can have a huge impact of how your young athlete’s experience of sports goes. How you act and react before, during and after a sporting performance will have a huge impact on your young athlete’s enjoyment of sports in general. Next time that your young athlete is nearing his/her next sporting performance remember that the purpose of youth sport is to create an opportunity for the youths of our nation to have fun and grow. All the triumphs and heartbreaks that are part of winning and losing in sports can provide learning experiences and lessons that help pave the road to a successful adulthood. Remember they will eventually be looking after you!

Tryouts Are About Being Mentally Strong

2010-09-20T11:15:00.000-07:00

Tryouts Are About Being Mentally Strong

Written By: Shaun SmithAsk any champion athlete or respected coach how much of their success is mental, what would they say? Most top athletes and coaches know that success in sports is highly dependent on your mental game yet for a large majority of the population the mental game has been ignored. Athletes spend a large amount of time and money on having the best equipment, hiring respected coaches and on personal trainers to ensure physically and technically they are ready. Yet, these same athletes often fail to show up or "choke" during pressure situations. Think about the next couple of questions: Why do some athletes dig deep and play at their best level when the game is on the line or while evaluators are watching? How is it that some athletes are able to play well when its crunch time with only 2 minutes left in the game and the pressure is on them to produce? Being able to perform well during tryouts and throughout the season has a lot to do with your mental toughness or your ability to never give up faith in your game, your ability to control emotions, block out distractions and prepare for each tryout session so that you are ready to compete. By working on your mental game before tryouts you will ensure that you are successful during tryouts.
Many athletes I work with struggle with their mental game just at the time they need it the most. For many reasons, they lose confidence when the team depends on them to make a big play or make the last play in a close game. Some athletes tighten up. Some athletes try too hard. Other athletes are afraid to embarrass themselves and fear attempting to take a risk and make that key play late in the game or during tryouts. Think back to previous tryouts it is during tryouts, that athletes in every sport are expected to come to play and show their best when the pressure is on them. This is why many athletes that have ignored the mental game struggle during tryouts and often end up on a lower team then maybe they should be on.
When I think back to previous tryouts that I competed in the first thing that comes to mind is the extreme demands that are placed on athletes. Athletes are often competing for two or three positions. Not only are athletes competing for limited spots during many tryouts now they are being asked to complete additional dryland sessions to test their current athletic abilities, adding to the physical and mental demands of tryouts. Physical exhaustion, dehydration and sickness can lead to many athletes becoming mentally exhausted. Many athletes are placing high demands on their body as they prepare for tryouts, creating a perfect time to practice toughing it out.
So how do you tough it out when the going gets tough and you have to play well in the inner squad game at the end of a gruelling tryout. First, toughing it out means staying composed and not letting your opponent, who’s watching you or the arena conditions rattle you into negativity and frustration. Second, toughing it out means never giving up your confidence because you are behind or find yourself in a tough game. Third, toughing it out means you stay calm and in control when things aren't going your way. Golfers need to tough it out after a poor performance on the front nine. A baseball player might have to tough it out when he's exhausted physically and making uncharacteristic mistakes. A goalie needs to tough it out late in a game when he has not been playing at his best but has the chance to make that last second save to win the game. Playing sports is about battling and giving your team or yourself a chance to win even when you may not be feeling or performing at your best.
Here are five mental toughness tips to help you tough it out in a close competition or during tryouts:
1. You can't afford to get frustrated with mistakes or changes in momentum during the competition or tryouts. Your frustration can be a game changer and allow your opponents to run away with the game. Mental toughness is very much about composure and not letting adversity change your focus.
2. Never "throw in the towel" until the end of the game or match. I'm talking about your confidence and belief that you can get the job done in the closing moments. Fragile confidence is the worst enemy for athletes!
3. Forget about the consequences of winning or losing and stick to focusing your mind on the next play or shot, position of opposing players or the current arena or field conditions. Our minds are wired to think ahead about the consequences of the competition and what it means to you, which only causes tension and worry.
4. Have faith in your teammates to help the team come through and win. Don't give up on your teammate that just missed an empty net or failed to capitalize. Part of confidence is knowing your team is there to back you up when you need them the most.

5. Stay the course and stick to what's working. How many times have you seen an athlete change their game plan or strategy out of frustration that nothing is working? Keep using what got you into position to close the deal in the first place. Stay patient with what's working instead of "abandoning the ship."

Visit www.absolutementaltraining.com for more information or to start a mental training program with Absolute Mental Training, the leader in mental training that is matched to your every need