Take It To The Grave

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

:: 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
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.

What Now For Carey Price? Managing Expectations

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

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?

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

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

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.