We’ve all heard the saying “you never get a second chance to make a first impression.” That’s not necessarily true. with the start of each new season comes an opportunity for you to show those around you who you are and what you bring to the table.
Maybe you’re on a new team and there are few that know you, in which case you really do have an opportunity to make a first impression.
Or more likely, you’re moving up the ranks with players and coaches who have seen you play and have a sense of who you are as a player. Even in this situation, you have an opportunity to reestablish who you are and make the most of this fresh moment to be the player you see yourself as.
In this post, I want to share 5 ways for you to stand out in your first 5 practices. Actually, these habits will help you stand out all season long, but I want to emphasize the importance of taking very deliberate steps to make sure you stand out in a positive, memorable way with your coaches and teammates to help you get off to a quick start in your season.
1 – KEEP IT SIMPLE – one of the biggest mistakes I see players do early in the season is showboat to try and impress coaches and teammates. They try and deke two d-men instead of making a pass and going to space. They try to clear the puck up the middle instead of glass and out. Or they try things that are outside of their skillset and come off looking less skilled than they really are.
– If you have a great shot, take shots and crash for rebounds.
– If you skate well, move your feet and make things happen on the ice.
– If you’re a good forechecker or back-checker, skate hard and finish your checks.
Keep your game simple and fast in the early part of the season and only after you begin to dust the cobwebs off from the off-season, do you start pushing the edges of your comfort zone and only in practice when you do.
2 – RAISE YOUR COMPETE LEVEL – Not all of us have Ovechkin or Crosby-like skills. But anyone can compete like a beast and become the hardest working player on the ice. Raising your compete level is more mental than physical and requires a deliberate commitment early in the season to establish it as a habit. Coaches love players who compete. Regardless of your skill, coaches prefer players with a beast-mode setting and will usually give the most ice time to the hardest workers. That’s the kind of reputation you want!
3 – BE POSITIVE AND UPBEAT – nobody likes a Debbie-downer or negative-Nancy, ho-humming it around the ice or locker room. Energy is an important part of both individual and team performance. Players who are upbeat and positive, and play with enthusiasm and passion increase the positive energy of the team overall and are recognized by coaches as leaders and role models for how the best players perform. I’m not saying you need to be outgoing or a class clown if that’s not your personality, but everyone makes a choice on how they respond to situations on and off the ice. The player that consistently puts a positive spin on things and is able to add energy to the team by playing with enthusiasm and passion is the player that will get noticed in the long run.
4 – BE ON TIME – nothing drives a coach crazier than a player who is late. It’s disruptive and comes across as disrespectful to the coaches and the team overall. Getting to the rink early and being on the ice as the zam pulls off shows the coach that you care and that he can depend on you to show up on time to practices and games.
5 – BOUNCE – Bounce is a player’s ability to rebound from mistakes and adversity on and off the ice. These players are resilient, flexible, adapt to changing situations, and “bounce back” rather than fold. Listen, hockey is not a game of perfect. You’re going to make mistakes, you’re going to get yelled at by coaches and fans. It’s not what you did to deserve the yelling, it’s what you do after to keep your head in the game or practice. Trust me when I tell you that coaches look for the mistakes – but not for the mistake itself; they look to see if the player gives up or bounces back. Make sure you bounce!
I can tell you from experience that these specific skills don’t happen by accident. They happen because players make a deliberate choice to adopt these simple mental skills and strive to become a complete player.
To learn more strategies on how to get out of the gate quickly and establish consistency in your game, check out TheCompletePlayer.com site for a complete library of mental toughness training tools.
Interested in trying these strategies out and sharing your experience with others?
If you’ll agree to try these 5 skills during your first 5 practices, and report back so I can share with others, I’ll give you a free CompletePlayer workbook of your choice.
PM me and let me know if you’re interested – I double-dog-dare-ya!
Kevin L. Willis, PhD
Sport Psychologist
Level 5 USA Hockey Coach