The transition from off-season to the start of the season is different for everyone. Some players slide right in without missing a beat, others struggle to get up to speed. the quality of your summer training can have a lot to do with it, but it’s not just the physical you need to be ready with, it’s your expectations, attitude, and mindset as well.
Nobody wants to struggle early on, so here are 5 strategies to help you hit the ice ready to play so you can make a good impression on your coaches and teammates.
1 – Set goals for the season – players that write down their goals are 50% more likely to achieve them than players that don’t. And yet fewer than 5% of players will set goals and those that do only 1% will actually write them down. Goals are the roadmap for your season and if you don’t know where you’re going, there’s a good chance you won’t get there.
2 – Incorporate team goals into personal goals – now that you have your personal goals in mind and written down, look for the connection to the team goals. If your team prides itself on defense, see how your goals align with shutting down other teams, or limiting scoring chances, or blocking shots. When team goals and individual goals are in sync, you are more likely to get off to a quick start and maintain that momentum throughout the season.
3 – Set smart expectations – expectations are like mini-goals and establishing smart expectations for the start of your season can help you perform better out of the gate. Everyone has expectations for themselves and it’s important that you set expectations that stretch you but won’t break you. Push the edges of your comfort zone each and every practice but do so in a manner that will allow you to increase the tempo and intensity of skills you’re already pretty good at. Also, make sure you know what your coach’s expectations are for you during the early part of the season. Don’t just assume you know what they want and don’t be afraid to ask them straight up, what are your expectations for my play in the first 6 games of the season. Knowing what your coach expects from you and what you expect from yourself puts you in a place mentally where you can push yourself week after week but still maintain a positive, optimistic attitude in your development.
4 – Practice with a purpose – you would probably be surprised to learn that most players waste the majority of their practice time mindlessly drilling skills they’ve done a thousand times before. Players that have learned how to practice with a purpose, or what I call Deliberate Practice, have been shown to increase skill as much double that of the mindless practice player. If you don’t know how to practice with a purpose, click here to learn more.
5 – Evaluate often – Feedback is the foundation of progress. If you want to move forward you need to pay attention to what you’re doing and the results you’re getting. To get off to a quick start in your season, review and evaluate your practice and performance habits early and often. Take an extra few minutes after practice and games to see what you did well, and where you were struggling. While goals define your roadmap, taking the time to review your performance will help keep you on the path to steady progress.
To learn more strategies on how to get out of the gate quickly and establish consistency in your game, check out TheCompletePlayer.com coaching site for a complete library of mental toughness training tools.
Do you have a core set of strategies for starting the season right? – if so, please share your comments below and let me know how these and other strategies work for you.
Kevin L. Willis, PhD
Sport Psychologist
Level 5 USA Hockey Coach