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Timely Thoughts

By Adam Naylor
Lead Consultant
Telos Sport Psychology Coaching
www.telos-spc.com

When a skater is struggling mentally on the ice, it is often said that he is “Thinking too much.” Whether it manifests itself as worry or frustration, sometimes a player's thoughts lead to uncontrolled emotions and ultimately poor play. The player that begins a game thinking that the opponent is too good and victory seems improbable seems to always be a stride behind and failing to give full effort. The player that spends all of the time on the bench thinking about mistakes made during the last shift and how the next shift needs to be better often carries this analytical thought onto the ice a few moments later… leaving a coach muttering on the bench, “That kid just has to stop thinking on the ice.”

The Fallacy of Thoughtlessness

Great hockey players are airheads. Doesn't that sound strange? It is hard to believe the players who succeed on the ice are thoughtless. In every arena of life it is frowned upon to be clueless. Why would hockey be any different?

It can be said, without a doubt, that certain thoughts are unhelpful to a player at game time. Interestingly however, many of these poor game time thoughts are rather valuable to a player outside of the buzzers that bookend a hockey game. In essence, thinking is good but, having the right thoughts at the right time is critical to success. Rather than attempting to empty one's head of all thoughts (Is this even possible?), a wise player strives to fill his head with effective, timely thoughts.

Typical Thoughts – Where Do They Belong?

“Wow, skating the puck was a bad idea. I need to dump it in the corner and allow us to set up our offense.”
“I hope coach likes what I'm doing out here.”
“I want to be on the top line this season.”
“Keep your feet moving.”

These are all useful thoughts… if spoken to one's self at the right time. The athlete that is told in a blanket statement, “Don't think about your mistakes,” is less likely to learn from them. Similarly, the player that fails to be concerned with what a coach thinks might fail to learn in a timely manner. The competitor that fails to be concerned with starting position on a team or the outcome of a game is quite unusual, for these are some exciting achievements that many dream about. Yet these thoughts are best left for preseason motivation and away from the rink reflection. Thinking about the specific “how to's” of hockey (i.e. “Keep your feet moving.”) are keys to in-game success. Small, efficient, target oriented (targets to pass to or target ideas to keep one on track) thoughts lead to in-game successes.

In conclusion, one should not be concerned about the amount of thinking during a game, but rather the quality of thinking. Focusing on the location of a shot or pass is helpful. Saying a word or two to one's self about sound technique or thinking (“Get out high,” “Embrace the opportunity.”) are also valuable in game thoughts. Save critical contemplation and reflection until a few hours after the game. Very few athletes are blessed with objective thinking during an emotional game, therefore criticism is often harsh and unproductive. Worry about coach criticism in practice, during a game trust sound strategy. Ultimately, remember most thoughts can be beneficial… if wandering through one's mind at the right time. Choose thoughts that lead to productive practices and play.

Adam H. Naylor, Ed.D., AASP-CC the lead consultant for Telos Sport Psychology Coaching ( www.telos-spc.com ) and is sport psychology coach and center coordinator at the Boston University Athletic Enhancement Center ( www.bu.edu/aec ). He serves as a consultant to USA/Mass Hockey and works with youth, junior, collegiate, and professional players and coaches. He can be contacted at adam@telos-spc.com.