At this time of the year, we are almost  exactly 100 days away from Fall Training Camps / Tryouts for most hockey teams…. just 14weeks….

What are you doing to get your body and mind in shape?

How about your attitude and passion….., and the other things that are sometimes even more important  than the hockey skills….

At this time, I have included a few articles that hopefully will make players and families think about some of the important  things that need to be considered and should be prioritized as the number of days “to Camp” start to disappear.

Some players are saddled with bad habits that they  should break as they head towards the beginning of next season. There is no time like the present to get started….

Other players have been saddled with other “baggage” that may hinder opportunities, and will possibly continue to do so. As one article in this newsletter describes, many decisions are made based on “non-hockey” issues?

Although our services are primarily used by late-bloomers to make wise decisions and to identify opportunities, we often are  approached by players who truly should be playing at a higher level than  they are, but  upon commencing our work we often hear of past complications that are like an albatross around the neck of the player, although the player has generally not been the cause (and has no idea).

Often times, Moms and Dads have “ticked someone off” because they didn’t follow through with an obligation, or they had an argument with a coach, or they gossiped or complained about a team official.

The hockey world truly is very small. Unofficial rules govern the way that things occur…, language and traditions are unique…., and everything is subjective. Good relations are key. Whispers have changed the direction of many hockey careers over the years.

Just this week, we have managed to get two young player careers back on track after several years of being on the peripheral, only because someone caused a ruckus along the way.

It’s important to use this time to “clean things up”…, get on track…., heal injuries…., get stronger…, kick bad habits…., and take care of business….

Only one-hundred days….

Let me know if you think we can help,

P.S. I have heard from from Prep Schools who are already accepting applications for 2013-14…. although we are still expecting to place a handful of student-athletes for this season as well.

P.S.S. College commitments are still available for this coming Fall.

I recently interviewed Coach Cliff McCrath for my book. I’ve know Cliff for about seven years now. He was very kind first to my middle son Kyle back when he was a sophomore in High school and then later to my youngest Seth. Cliff, for those that don’t know, is second in wins as a soccer coach in all of college soccer. He is also by the way a former hockey player in his youth growing up on the streets of Detroit. He’s in more soccer related Halls of Fame than anyone I know. Important to me is that he calls me his friend. The last of this serves little importance except perhaps as a marker suggesting that the answer I got during the interview was from his heart. It was not a question I had originally told him we would discus, but his answer I thought was clear.

I asked Cliff what was the one thing he looked for when he was recruiting a player. A lot of coaches would answer touch, speed, leadership, or a good left foot. Cliffs answer was “The Fury”. He looked into a player’s eyes and looked for “The Fury”. I thought it such a great way to describe inner drive and passion. Certainly, as Cliff described what he meant, it came out to that. It is like some inner force possesses an athlete’s being. Some refer to it as competitive fire.

For years my younger brother Marc has been insisting I watch the movie Rudy. It is about a Notre Dame walk on football player. Don’t get me wrong, I love sports movies. I resisted because I don’t like the Golden Dome. Growing up a USC fan explains most of this, not all, but most. I saw it today. It was OK. The part that was not lost on me was that Rudy had “The Fury”. Something inside him, against all odds, drove him to put up with a great deal for a single chance to walk out into that stadium. No one had to bring it out in him, he had it, and that is why it stood out. For those not named Rudy we need to look elsewhere.

I’ve seen it for years of course. I think I once had it. It doesn’t matter to me if we refer to it as competitive fire or fury; to me the best athletes always have that fire. I love Cliffs name for it as I think it drives home the point both to outsiders and to athletes. Do you have the fury? Is it somewhere within your being? Are you driven to succeed? I am constantly reminded of the importance in understanding our own motivation for doing things. Certainly this is where it all begins. But what is it that brings out the fury in some and simple desire in others. Is it our upbringing? Is it something as simple as those that were perhaps denied something growing up have a greater fury within them? Can “The Fury” be developed?

I frequently talk with athletes that say they can’t get going until someone literally or figuratively smacks them in the mouth in a game. They have to get angry to start playing well. Is this as simple as stoking up the fury that lies just below the surface in some of us? Perhaps it is. We can do the academic discussion about how performance is regulated by an athlete’s arousal levels another time, but for now let’s simply acknowledge that often times an athlete performs better when they are in fact angry and that the fury is unleashed.

Some athletes wear their fury on their sleeves and some hide it below the surface. Some athletes, even those with great skills don’t seem to have it at all and many of those often fail in their goals to move to the level they want to achieve. I don’t think this means that you have to have a chip on your shoulder, though with many this seems to be the case. I think the secret is the ability to call upon the fury to propel you forward. This may be needed in training or in games, but somehow the best seem to be able to call upon this unique attribute at will.

The real question is can we learn this behavior if it does not seem to be part of our make up to start with. I’ve helped many people find their inner drive. I’ve helped them harness this mental attribute to push them forward. Many coaches are quite good at bringing it out in their players, at least those that recognize the trait as being critical to performance. The thing you should ask yourself is do I have this fury, this passion for life within me. If it is too deep below the surface can I find it and call upon it when needed. Most of us have this passion, this drive. Many of us have suppressed it over time. Figure out where and how you are motivated and then see if you can bring it to the surface. I love Cliff McCrath calling it “The Fury” and that is how I think I will always refer to it now. It is the perfect description. Better than Drive, better than anger and even passion, much better than arousal, it is “The Fury”. The thing which propels us forward with all of its different names is “The Fury”. Most of us have it in one degree or another and I believe that
with the right mental training you can find it to help you accomplish just about anything in life.

I was talking about “The Fury”. The drive and passion to accomplish anything in life you want. I proposed that to some extent this force is in all of us, but that it is much closer to the surface in some and buried deeper in others. I also said that mental skills training can help bring it out in someone. I’ll assert for the moment that this is a given, but what I want to do is talk about why it may be hidden in some people.

I think it has to do with that while we value passion and drive in an individual, when we see it at the level of “The Fury” we tend to talk about it is less than positive terms. A person with “The Fury” may be thought as not nice or perhaps overly aggressive. Certainly they are driven and that drive over shadows team mates at times. Does this make them selfish? Perhaps it does. These individuals are driven to succeed. Not at any cost, but certainly with passion. This passion is often mistaken and consequently thought of as arrogance or over confidence. People with “The Fury” that have physical talent are stars. If they lack some of the
developmental skills of their sport they are categorized differently at times. They may be overly aggressive and because of a lack of skill this has the appearance of violence. A player makes their bones by being physical, making up for the lack of skill. At some point this behavior is either rewarded or denigrated. If the later, then “The Fury” gets pushed down below the surface and is difficult to bring forward when needed by the athlete to succeed. If rewarded but uncontrolled, the athlete just becomes a physical player. At any level, the athlete needs to learn to control “The Fury”, to use its power to propel them towards success. Read more to find this competitive fire.

One of the characteristics I see a lot of in athletes is they want to be thought of as nice people. They have somehow decided that those athletes they see with “The Fury” are not nice people. Again and again I have seen teams and individuals get a lead in an athletic contest only to let their opponent back in. Why, because people that are not nice make other people feel really bad. So if you beat a team in soccer 7-0 you are not nice. 3-1 is a much nicer score. Sometimes in allowing the opponent back in the score ends up 4-3 with the nice players loosing. It is always humorous when I talk about this with teams and using a metaphor talk about stepping on the other player’s neck. It is a visual image taken to the extreme to illustrate a point. You can either allow yourself to be the best and put your opponent out of their misery or be nice or let them back in. The point to any athletic contest, from football to checkers, is winning. Someone is going to feel bad after the game. Do you want it to be you?

So many of us learn to suppress “The Fury” rather than understand and control it. Growing up I heard something that went like “It’s nice to be nice”. If this saying gets attached to “The Fury” you can see why some people suppress it within themselves. I’ve met a lot of people with “The Fury”. Like everyone you meet, some are nice and others are not as nice. The Fury has little to do with people skills. I remember meeting one of the Denver Broncos years ago. He played defense and had a let’s say nasty reputation. You could see “The Fury” in his eyes. He was one of the nicest, kindest people I ever met. I’ve known others that had it and would walk over you or use you because it suited them. Yes they had this drive, but it controlled them. They were lonely, aggressive people and that found success. Yes “The Fury helped them get where they were going.

“The Fury” has little to do with how you treat people. That is a topic for others to discuss. My concern is always bringing out this controlled behavior in people since it helps them succeed in their dreams and goals.

So here at last are a few things to look at to find “The Fury” within you. Look deeply at what internally motivates you. What do you want to master? Where can you find your creative soul? And do you have a purpose in life beyond winning a game? It all starts with Why?

Now that you understand yourself a little better, examine your goals. Are they in alignment? Are they real? Now imagine succeeding and looking inward with your imagination and look for the fire. If you have lined things up you will see that fire. It may be far away, but you are in control and can make the picture bigger and brighter. See yourself with the fire of “The Fury” burning from your own eyes and notice that people still like you and perhaps even treat you with greater respect, because they too know see “The Fury”. Smile you’ve just made a quantum leap towards success by lighting the fire.

Play with passion. Enjoy the Game. The one on the ice and the one within you.

Athletes from all over the country have been seeking out Mike Margolies for close to thirty-five years for his expertise in helping them live up to their potential. They have sought his counsel and unique teaching style to learn about the game within the game. Mike founded Sport Psychology Consultants in 1983 and has helped over 2000 athletes. Mike has taught at four Universities and completed research at the United States Olympic Training Center.

Mike Margolies is available for workshops, team and individual consultation, assessment and as a speaker. His new book is called “The Athlete within You- a mental approach to sports and business” It is for athletes and non athletes working to achieve more in life.  http://themental-game.com .

Ice hockey is a high-intensity activity, and hockey players expend a tremendous number of calories in practice and in competition. Fueling the body at frequent, regular intervals with appropriate amounts of food will enhance strength, speed and stamina. To have enough energy, you must eat enough energy. With too few calories, you will feel weak and tired, and will be more susceptible to injuries. Males aged 13-18 need about 2,600-3,200 calories a day.

A hockey player’s diet should be based primarily on complex-carbohydrate-containing food (starches) with less emphasis placed on protein and fat. During activity, muscles use carbohydrate as their primary source of energy, not protein. A high carbohydrate diet increases glycogen stores (for muscle energy) and improves athletic performance. A majority of your daily calories should come from carbohydrate, such as bread, pasta, rice, cereal, fruit and vegetables. Hockey players should AVOID low-carb diets, as they will not provide enough fuel for endurance.

Do you need to eat something before you play? Yes. Just like a racecar you can’t expect to win an Indianapolis 500 without the right fuel in your tank. Unfortunately, everyday hockey players around the world run out of gas in the middle of a game and struggle just to finish simply because they forgot to re-fuel before they played.

Here are some basic tips:
- Eat breakfast everyday! Breakfast starts your metabolism for the day and fuels your body and brain.
- Eat every 3-4 hours. This usually breaks down to 3 meals a day plus 3 snacks a day.
- Fit meals into your schedule as best as possible but do not go more than 4 hours without eating.
- Fluids, fluids, fluids, and more fluids! Your hydration status will have a huge impact on the day’s performance. The more hydrated you are the better the performance.

Hydration guidelines: you should drink fluids on a schedule, rather than as a response to thirst.
• Water: Drink 16 ounces of water before bed, first thing in the morning, and two hours before a practice or game.
• Fluids: The best choices are water, sports drinks, and juices or fruit drinks diluted in a one-to-one ratio. Caffeinated or carbonated drinks are poor choices.
• Before: drink 8 to 12 ounces, 10-15 minutes before practices or games
• During: drink 6 to 8 ounces at all breaks during practices or games
• After: drink at least 24 –48 ounces after practices and games!

To have the most strength, power, and stamina, timing of your meals around your training schedule is important, so you need to coordinate eating before, during and after practices and games.

Before Practices and Games
1 to 3 hours before an event: Eat a balanced meal. This time frame allows most of the food to be emptied from the stomach, while not leaving you overly hungry. Skipping meals or not eating before an activity can impair athletic performance.

Meals serve two main purposes. They keep you from feeling hungry and help you maintain optimal levels of blood glucose (energy) for working muscles during training and competition

The best pre-game meals are carbohydrate-based, moderate in protein and low in fat.

You should try to limit high-fat and fried foods such as French fries, burgers, nachos and fried chicken, as these take a long time to digest, and can cause gas, bloating and stomach upset.

With the extremely busy schedule that ice hockey players and their families have, here are some of the healthiest fast food lunch and dinner options when there is no time for a home-cooked meal: grilled chicken sandwich, bean burrito, chicken burrito, plain small hamburger (no fries), salads, chili, baked potato, cheese or veggie pizza. Order milk or water instead of soda pop with your meal.

Young hockey players tend to drink way too much soda pop and not enough milk. Extra calcium is definitely needed by active, growing young men, and dairy products are the best source. If you do not like milk or other dairy products, you should take calcium supplements.

30 minutes prior to the event: Eat a high carbohydrate food like a banana, bagel or fruit juice. Sports nutrition products like Power Bars can also be an excellent source of energy and can be part of your pre-game snack. These foods are broken down quickly and provide fuel to the muscles. The timing and quantity of these foods will largely depend on your preference for eating before exercise and level of comfort during your workout. Chocolate bars and candy may give you a short term energy boost but tend to cause a real energy drain within a short time and actually hurt your performance more than help it.

Breakfast suggestions for early games and practices: Players should have a light meal or snack prior to arriving at games. In the morning, toast and fruit, such as a banana, are excellent, as is a pure fruit juice (juice is even better if diluted 50% with water for additional hydration.) Other good breakfast foods are oatmeal, cereal with milk, yogurt with fruit, bagel with peanut butter or light cream cheese, smoothies or other “liquid meal” like Carnation Instant Breakfast.
Eat items that are easily digestible, and try to eat shortly after waking. Avoid heavy or greasy foods like bacon, sausage, doughnuts, etc. These take longer to digest and may have a negative effect on performance.

Packable Snacks:
So you won’t go hungry if you’re traveling to a game, be sure to pack food in your hockey bag or keep some in the car – try keeping a small cooler in your car to store extra healthy snacks and drinks. You might even pack extra snacks for underfed teammates and hungry little brothers and sisters. Some possibilities:
• Granola bars or energy bars
• Trail mix
• Apples and oranges (they keep several days)
• Dried fruit
• Animal crackers
• Juice boxes
• Small bottles of milk
• String cheese
• Peanut butter and crackers
• Lowfat yogurt or pudding
• Unsalted nuts such as plain almonds
• Pretzels
• Dry cereal

During Practices and Games
Drink plenty of water, at least 6 to 8 ounces at every break. Perspiration and exertion deplete the body of fluids necessary for an optimal performance and lead to dehydration. Drink before you feel thirsty.
Drinking a sports drink or other beverage with some sugar will help to fuel the muscles being exercised. This means you can exercise longer and harder.
You should try to avoid fluids like soda pop (can cause intestinal cramping), or any with caffeine. This will cause you to go to the bathroom more and can lead to dehydration.

After Practices and Games

Immediately after training:
1. Consume carbohydrate-rich foods and beverages as soon as possible after games and practices — ideally within the first 30 to 45 minutes after exercise. They will replenish glycogen fuel stores quickly and get your muscles back into performance shape. Some of the best choices are:
- fruit juice diluted with water, or sports beverage like Gatorade
- granola or cereal bars
- dry sweetened cereal
- gummy-bear type candy
- chocolate milk

2. Replace fluids that have been lost. Drink at least 24-48 ounces of water or sports beverage.

1-2 hours after training: Eat a nutritious, balanced meal that has lots of carbohydrate- rich foods such as grains, pastas, potatoes, vegetables and fruits.

The bottom line:
• Eat every three hours
• Drink lots of fluids
• Eat soon after leaving the ice
• Emphasize carbohydrates
• Also, I recommend a multivitamin/mineral supplement (like Centrum) each day plus an additional calcium supplement

David Friedmann playing for Team Canada East

David Friedmann is one of the 35 players heading south of the border next season from the OJHL to play NCAA DI hockey. Friedmann will be a 19-year-old freshman stepping in to the lineup at Robert Morris University. The RMU Colonials compete in the 12-team Atlantic Hockey Association.

He’s got some big shoes to fill. The Colonials, who are based in Moon Township, a suburb of Pittsburgh, were ranked as high as 20th in the nation a year ago.

With a total of 7 forwards exiting the line up at RMU, Friedmann will have an opportunity at some meaningful ice time to make an immediate impact. Certainly an appealing factor for any recruit to consider.

Friedmann was recruited while playing for the Jr. Canadians in the OJHL and for obvious reasons.  At the beginning of this season he averaged almost two points per game and was recruited to join Team Canada (East).

In his first 12 games this year, Friedmann tallied 21 points, including 10 goals. He went on to finish the season with 42 games played and 60 points.

JHR had the chance to interview Friedman on getting recruited by RMU.

JHR: How did you get recruited Robert Morris University? What do you think they saw in you?

Friedmann: Matt Nicholson, one of the assistant coaches at RMU saw me play a few times during my second year of junior. I then went on a visit and fell in love with the campus and everything the school had to offer both academically and athletically.

Other schools in Atlantic Hockey as well as some of the Ivey schools came knocking but I knew Robert Morris was the place for me. My parents came on many visits with me and were huge in my decision. They provided a different perspective on my decision. They drove me around to the different schools and were big in my decision at the end.

RMU liked my scoring and play making ability, as well as my ability to make those around me better.

Thoughts On the OJHL, USHL, OHL and NCAA

JHR: Did you feel like the OJHL is a good league for players to develop in and get recruited?

Friedmann: The OJHL is a great league for players between the ages of 16-19 to develop in. The fact that almost everyone lives at home provides a comfort and helps you perform better. Overall as the OJHL continues to cut teams, it will continue to develop as one of the best developmental leagues in North America.

JHR: Did you enjoy your time with the Jr Canadians? How did you come to play for the Georgetown Raiders for part of last season?

Friedmann: My tenure with the Junior Canadians was amazing. Through out the two and a half years there was never a day where it was not fun to come to the rink and put the jersey on. I made the move to Georgetown halfway through my second year to help them on there playoff run. After the season I was moved back to the Canadians and enjoyed my third year of Junior A hockey there. I was on loan for the playoffs and was the Canadians property after the season.

JHR: Were you drafted by an OHL team? Did you consider playing there?

Friedmann: I was drafted by the Kingston Frontenacs. After my first year of Junior I considered it but for the most part it was NCAA the whole way.

JHR: Did you ever consider the USHL or NAHL as an option for trying to go to the NCAA?

Friedmann: I had the opportunity to play for the Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL but after lots of thought and consideration I decided to stay at home and develop before going away for school.

JHR: Where did you play minor hockey, who was the most influential person on your career so far?

Friedmann: I played minor hockey for the Toronto Junior Canadians the whole way growing up. My dad has by far been the biggest fan and supporter of my career from the start. Without him I would not be where I am today.

JHR: What advice would you give to recruits trying to make it to the NCAA

Friedmann: Don’t change the way you play when a school is coming to watch you. Just play your style and the rest will come. Be yourself.

JHR: What are you looking forward to the most about the NCAA?

Friedmann: Playing at a higher level and showing people how good I am. Also overall living the university life and representing my school.

JHR: How did you end up playing in a Team Canada jersey? Who recruited you and how did that process work?

Friedmann: I got invited to the three Team Canada East tryouts and eventually made the team. The coaches at the end of the third tryout announced the team and it was definitely a thrill.
On Family Advisors/Agents and the SAT’s

JHR: Do you have a family advisor; if so would you recommend one?

Friedmann: Pat Morris is my family advisor. I recommend any player to use one that will actually go to bat for him. Make sure the advisor is doing something for you.

JHR: For the record, Pat Morris is from Newport Sports Management.

JHR: Who wouldn’t, so I assume you wrote the SATs? How did you study, did you have a tutor? Go to an SAT prep course? Where are you going to high school?

Friedmann: I used the Princeton Review to tutor me. I went to a class once a week. I went to TanenbaunCHAT Wallenberg Campus in Toronto.
Mental and Physical Fitness Training

JHR: Tell us about the mental aspect of hockey, do you use any sports psychology techniques?

Friedmann: Definitely. I am one of the only guys I know that does a lot of mental work in the off season. I have different ways of getting my brain moving when I start fatiguing.

JHR: What are your summer plans for training? Who is training you? Providing nutritional advice etc.

Friedmann: I am training with Matt Nichol for the second straight summer. He provides training, nutritional advice, life advice, pretty much advice for everything. He’s the best trainer that I have ever trained with and I owe him a lot.

JHR: For those of you who don’t know, Matt Nichol is the trainer who worked with Michael Cammalleri on his fitness. The two also helped found BioSteel, the sports supplement company.

JHR: Has RMU provided fitness guidelines going in?

Friedmann: Not as off yet but I will be getting fitness guidelines in the next month. Basically you have to be in shape come August and I will be.

JHR: Are you on the ice a lot this summer?

Friedmann: I skate close to 4 times a week through out the summer. It’s a combination of skills, scrimmages, as well as conditioning. Overall keeps me in skating shape and gets me ready for the season.

JHR: Anything else you would like to share about your experience so far?

Friedmann: Live the dream for as long as possible and keep working hard no matter what. Those are two valuable lessons I learned.

In his first OHL season Max Domi notched 49 points in 62 games. As an OHL’er he’s managed to turn his father’s tenacity as an NHL enforcer into a well groomed goal producing machine. Max Domi spent most of his minor hockey career with the Don Mills Flyers where his father Tie coached the team. Domi scored 27 goals and 57 points in 30 games during the 2010-11 season.

In the 2011 OHL Draft, Domi was a first round draft pick (eighth overall) of the Kingston Frontenacs. On August 30, 2011, Domi was traded by Frontenacs General Manager Doug Gilmour to the London Knights for three second-round draft picks. Rumour has it Domi refused to play for the Frontenacs and wanted the winning history and bright lights of the 9,000 seat arena in London. His OHL debut came on September 23, 2011 against the Saginaw Spirit. Domi notched a hat trick and logged an assist, as the Knights bested the Spirit 8-0

The Score sat down with Max for fans to get a “Day In The Life”. For recruits with their eyes on the CHL this short video gives a good look at some of the players in the league and what life is like.

With the hockey season coming to an end it is time for us to once again go through the task of tryouts for next season.  This can be a daunting task for both the player and the parents.

No parent wants their child not to be selected for the best possible team.  It is after all within every parent’s DNA to always want the best for their off spring.  Sometimes even when you want the best your child may simply not be ready to compete at the level  they have tried out for.

It is important to keep things in perspective and remember it is not the end of the world if your child is not chosen, many professional athletes tell the tale of when they didn’t make a team.  Sometimes that can be the inspiration for a player to work harder.  Here is a list of some reasons a player may not have made a team.

It is perfectly acceptable to ask the coach why your child was not chosen as long as you do it from a place of trying to understand how your player can improve to be more competitive next time.

Skill Set: Your player is quite simply not ready for the specific level he or she is trying out for. Can your player skate at this level? Can your player pass, handle and shoot the puck at this level?

Maturity: The maturity of players can sometimes factor into the selection process. Is this player a first or second year?  Additionally given January cut off date for US hockey player:s a child with a January birth date will have nine months of growth and maturity over a child born in September.  Size can be a big factor at younger ages!

Fit: Some coaches look for a specific type of player, role or skill set when determining their roster. How will that player fit with the chemistry of the team?

 Hockey Sense: A big concern for many coaches is “hockey sense” or “hockey smarts.” Does your player understand, think and read the game? This aspect of his or her game can be a major factor in determining if player child makes the team.

Development: A coach can sometimes weigh the option if a player might be better off playing on the team at the lower level then what they are trying out for. This will sometimes allow the player to be a top-line player instead of the ninth forward or sixth defenseman for the higher-level team. This will allow that player to develop and see more ice time in critical situations of the game.

David’s Note: Although I thought this article provided some good insight into the reasons why players might not genuinely be placed on a hockey team, and certainly provided some thought-provoking comments, I find that I am often faced with situations when being asked to assess players to try to determine why they have not  made the expected jump, and to attempt to promote them for advanced options, in a large portion of the cases I find that players are restricted because of “non-hockey” issues, which I will discuss in my editorial.

Renowned motivational speaker Tony Robbins had been pitching his books, audiotapes and services on late night TV infomercials for years, but some argue he didn’t fully jump into the national consciousness until he stepped inside a hockey rink.

As Robbins tells the story, a minor league hockey coach named Barry Melrose had been reading the self-help guru’s work for years, and when Melrose took over behind the bench of the Los Angeles Kings, he got in touch with Robbins, asking him to come speak to a few players.

Around 1992, Robbins started working directly with Kings’ stars like goalie Kelly Hrudey and forward Luc Robitaille. Robbins focused his efforts on helping the Kings find ways to consistently perform at their peak in a world where 15,000 fans roar their approval or their derision with every move a player makes.

Less than a year later, when the Kings made their first and, so far, only trip to the Stanley Cup Finals, and the secrets to their success were revealed, seemingly every team in professional sports wanted Robbins in their locker room.

But the concept of working on the mental side of the game was not a new idea, even in 1992. One can look as far back as 1926, when the pioneering sports psychologist Coleman Griffith published his landmark book, Psychology and Athletics. Griffith worked with the student athletes at his alma mater, the University of Illinois, and later with baseball’s Chicago Cubs.

“Griffith was ahead of his time, and kind of on an island,” said Larry Lauer, who works with USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor, Mich. Griffith embraced the psychological side of sports at a time when there was still very much a stigma attached to issues of mental well-being.

Today, as sports psychology consultants have become more common (but admit that for some “macho” athletes there’s still a minor stigma attached), Lauer is one of many who help hockey players reach their peak mentally as well as physically.

Lauer says that while some players strive to pump themselves up or channel inner emotion, his biggest goals are  focus and elimination of negativity no matter what happens once the puck drops.

“I try to eliminate the triggers that create negativity,” said Lauer, who is the director of coaching education and development at the Institute for the Study of Youth Sports at Michigan State University. “If you missed an open net, or if you’re a goalie and you let in a weak shot, focusing on those things can lead to negative thinking.

“When you get caught thinking in the past or in the future, you’re unable to do your best in the present.”

While armies of college and pro scouts descend on rinks from coast to coast looking for the on-ice skills and physical attributes that will make the next great American hockey star, Lauer and others in his profession look for other traits that may not be noticeable on the ice.

“You like players that don’t ride the emotional rollercoaster,” Lauer said, noting the successes of famously even-keeled personalities like goalies Martin Brodeur and Ryan Miller.

Lauer works with players before games to focus their attention and give them positive reminders, and works with them again after games – especially after tough losses – reminding athletes that they can’t control what is in the past, only what they do in response to what has already happened.

Some of the nation’s most renowned and successful coaches feel there are common psychological traits evident in the best hockey players.

“The great ones are really mentally strong,” said University of Minnesota men’s hockey coach Don Lucia. “They have short memories. They don’t allow what happened yesterday or a previous play or the previous period inhibit what they’re going to do in the future. You can’t get caught up in what happened, you’ve got to always be looking ahead.”

Lucia holds the same job once occupied by the legendary Herb Brooks, and has won nearly as many NCAA titles with the Golden Gophers (two) as Brooks did (three). But the modern approach Lucia and other coaches take toward dealing with players’ emotions could hardly be more different from the old-school drill sergeant approach that hard-nosed coaches like Brooks once used.

“We’ve done some psychological profiles on our players so we have a better handle on what makes them tick a little bit,” Lucia said.

“You can get into some kids shirts pretty good and they can handle it, and for other kids that’s not the best way to get at them. We’re a long way from 40 or 50 years ago and the way the coaches were. They were tough on everybody, and now I’m not sure you can do that with all kids.”

In sharp contrast to that calm, even-keeled approach on the ice, you look at NHL stars like Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby, who often demonstrate a fiery side, whether it’s slamming the glass and screaming to celebrate a goal, or verging on the brink of a full meltdown when protesting a referee’s call. Lauer says that the game is different for players with that much talent and historic success.

“The top players are better able to play a more emotional game, because they come with a reservoir of confidence that few people have,” Lauer said.

For any player the greatest moment is when the game is won, and the emotions of putting so much effort into out-scoring the other team can be on full display as friends celebrate on the ice and in the locker room. Of course, the outcome doesn’t always go a player’s way. Thus one can understand the increased focus on sports psychology and on finding players who have the physical and emotional talents to win.

“I think mental toughness is one of the most important traits to being successful as a hockey player and as a hockey team,” said Yale University men’s hockey coach Keith Allain, who took a break from directing the nation’s top-ranked college hockey team to guide Team USA to a bronze medal at the most recent IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships in Buffalo.

“This game of ours constantly challenges you, and people who rise to the top and win a medal are the ones who can handle the down times as well as the up times.”

In other words, modern coaches are focusing on things that pioneers like Coleman Griffith and even Tony Robbins discovered a long time ago: trophies, medals and championships are won by athletes not only with strong and skilled bodies, but with sound minds as well.

Over the last several years I’ve had many conversations with hockey players, parents, and coaches about skating technique. Given the importance of becoming a great skater on a player’s career, this is a skill that deserves a lot of attention. I often hear coaches say things, accurately, like:

1. “You need to get down lower”
2. “Longer more powerful strides!”
3. “You need to be more explosive”

This feedback can go a long way for a lot of players, as some have simply never (or rarely) been given feedback on things they can do to improve their skating. In other cases, however, the solution to the player’s skating qualms delves deeper than simply providing a few movement cues for them to consider. This is an extremely important topic that I’ll cover in a future post, but before I cover physical limitations to optimal skating technique, I want to start by sharing some of the more basic flaws, either in practice emphasis or in execution, that players can start to work on immediately.

1) Deep Knee Bend
Simply, for every player there is an optimal depth that will allow them to maximize their stride length.The pictures below are taken directly from my book Ultimate Hockey Training, and illustrate the effect that a lower skating position can have on stride length.

Tall Skating Stance

Deeper Skating Stance

In both pictures, the stride leg is in full extension. You can see very clearly that the stride leg travels about twice as far with the deeper skating stance than with the tall skating stance. Longer stride translates into more contact time with the ice which translates to more opportunity to generate power and forward propulsion.

I frequently use this illustration off the ice when teaching younger players proper body position for squats, jump landings and other lower body movements. I’ve found that most youth players, despite their limited attention span, understand how a deeper stance can translate into faster skating, so explaining how them performing certain movements the way I want translates into faster skating helps with buy-in tremendously.

A deeper skating stance also lower the center of gravity, which makes it more difficult to be knocked off of pucks, and more likely for players to win battles in corners.

Deeper isn’t always better, but it is extremely rare for a player to skate too deep. The problem is almost always in the other direction; he/she stands up too tall. This is an important point to hammer home to youth hockey players who are developing their skating habits, but this skating flaw certainly isn’t limited to the youth population. Emphasizing a deeper skating stance (not just a deeper knee bend) is an easy tip that can help a lot of players get a little bit more out of each stride.

2) Finish Each Stride with a Toe Flick
Another major area where players lose a lot of skating power potential is with the toe flick. Whether it’s a forward stride, forward crossover, or backward crossover, each stride should finish with a powerful toe flick such that the skate progressively leaves the ice from heel to toe.

Skating Stride with No Toe Flick

Skating Stride with Toe Flick

This may seem like a relatively insignificant change, but it’s not. Everyone is capable of tremendous power potential through their calves. As an illustration of this, stand on one leg and jump up and down without bending your knees, only using movement through your ankle. When players realize that there is a relatively small amount of muscle mass accelerating their entire body off the ground, they quickly realize how much potential power they can add to each stride. Another way to illustrate this is to have someone do a max effort vertical jump off of their heels, and then again finishing off the balls of their feet (as anyone would do normally). The difference is substantial.

During crossover strides, this same principle applies, but there is a bigger picture. Often times players won’t “drive under” while crossing over, they only “step over”. This “drive under” cue can go a long way in helping players accelerate through turns and get a little more push from each stride. We use this cue constantly during our transitional speed training exercises at Endeavor.

3) Master Your Edges
This isn’t so much a skating flaw as it is an oversight in what most players practice. Forward and backward linear skating are important, as is learning to crossover, but a fundamental prerequisite to mastering all skating movements is to become comfortable on your edges. So much of the game of hockey involves transitional and curvilinear movement. The best skaters in the world demonstrate incredible balance, agility, and resilience to unexpected obstacles or contact, largely becomes of the body positions and edge control they’ve internalized.

When you get some open ice, perform inside and outside edge holds, forward and backward, on one leg while maintaining optimal body positions. Push the depth of your skating stance and the angle at which you lean into the ice. Practice pivoting from forward to backward and backward to forward on one leg, maintaining proper body positions and ensuring that you don’t stand up tall during the transition.

I really like this video which was posted recently at Hockey Strength and Conditioning by Darryl Nelson and Carrie Keil, the Strength and Conditioning Coach and Power Skating Coach, respectively, of the USA National Team Development Program, because it demonstrates a great on-ice exercise to improve inside edge comfort in a transitional pattern.

There are a ton of applications of this idea, but I’ve found that these very basic concepts can go a long way in improving a player’s edge comfort, which translates into more confident and purposeful skating on the ice.

Wrap-Up
These are three of the biggest areas that most players can focus on to have a huge impact on their skating technique and power. Regardless of what level you’re playing at, check yourself against these recommendations and see how you do. Almost every player has some room for improvement. If any of the above feels unnatural to you, you may have a structural or functional limitation, which I’ll discuss in more detail in a few days. Check back soon!

Most intelligent people are willing to say: “I am responsible. I am accountable.” To say and mean this is the first step. The second step is to add the word “completely”. “I am completely responsible”. This is difficult for most. When something goes wrong we tend to say: “I am responsible but…” Our “but’s” get in the way of assuming complete responsibility. Complete responsibility increases your ability to accomplish goals. Complete responsibility is power. In order to assume complete responsibility we have to kick our “but’s”.

We express good intentions and then negate them with “but”. Examples are: “I want to work well with that employee, but he ‘s a jerk.” “I want to start my business, but my spouse won’t support it.” “I want to help these people, but they are unreasonable.” “I’d like to be more honest, but she won’t listen.” “I’d like to do a high quality job, but management keeps getting in my way.” “I’d get this done on time, but I have too much work to do.”

“But” is the great negator. Whatever words you say in the first part of the sentence are erased by the word “but”. When someone says: “I really want to make this work, but these people won’t cooperate.” –”but” negates “really wanting to make this work.” “Those people won’t cooperate” is the main message. You may as well say it’s over and it’s not going to happen. You have convinced yourself that the reason it isn’t happening is them. You are abdicating responsibility to them by inferring that they should change.

When we externalize reasons for something not working, we deceive ourselves. Our deception is that it’s all them. What impact do I have on this situation? How do I come across to “them”? Have I considered their needs, concerns, and desires? How might I see them and this situation differently? When I blame others I am resistant to their reality. What I resist will persist. Often the best way to keep something going is to be against it.

In my example, I will become completely responsible when I kick my “but”. I change “but” to “and” and “won’t cooperate” to “aren’t buying into my plan at this moment”.

“I really want to make this work, and those people aren’t buying into my plan at this moment.” Instead of condemning them for not agreeing with me, I can be listening to their concerns and reasons. I can become willing to hear another perspective, and to address their concerns. I can become willing to make adjustments based on new data I may not have been aware of previously. Taking into consideration their needs and concerns, I can present my plan, my adjusted plan, or a new plan to them. Having been heard by me, they are now more willing to listen.

To be completely responsible means that I have the ability to respond to the people and the situation. Responding effectively means caring, listening, and taking effective action. In responding I see the needs and concerns of others as valid for them. It is not an issue whether or not I agree with their needs and concerns. It is not an issue whether or not I think they should have those needs and concerns. I cannot influence others from a place of disconnection. I must connect with them by hearing them, caring about them, and understanding them. I may or may not be able to give them what they want. Giving people what they want is always secondary. Giving them what they need is primary. People need to be heard, to be respected, to be treated as important, and to be given honest, straight forward information.

Anger and frustration with the other people is a sign that I am not taking full responsibility. I am sitting on my “but”. I am blaming them for my inability to move forward. As long as I am sitting on my “but”, I have only two options: 1. Continue to struggle and make little or no progress. 2. Use force to get what I want (This may include punitive action, threat, intimidation, manipulation, or violence.)

Force always creates counterforce. There will be consequences. You may feel victorious if others are doing what you think is the right thing to do. The real victory is when they are doing the right thing because they choose to do it. This is influence. This is leadership. This is power through complete responsibility.

The principle of complete responsibility also works in dealing with situations. Example: “We have a great service to offer, but a slow economy is costing us sales.” Instead of limiting ourselves by blaming our decrease in sales on the economy, why not think in terms of possibilities. Why don’t we get off our “but” and look for new, previously not thought of ways to offer our services?

Kicking our “but” causes us to be more thoughtful, more creative, and more powerful. To say and mean, regardless of the situation, “I am completely responsible” makes us possibility thinkers. Imagine a high level management meeting where leaders are eagerly assuming responsibility. Problems are noted, and leaders are motivated to respond, motivated to acknowledge their part in creating or perpetuating the problem. There are no “but’s”. There are no excuses. There is no finger pointing. People are eager to help each other succeed.

You may read my imagined leadership team and say: “Yeah, right. I’d love to work in a place like that, but…” If you are thinking that way, somebody (preferably yourself) needs to kick your “but”. Wherever we work, live or play, we are the creators of whatever is happening right now. Isn’t it time that those of us who call ourselves leaders got off our “but’s” and started leading? The joy of true success comes to those of us who are interested in leading a completely responsible life, and who can envision possible futures. The joy of true success comes to individuals and organizations who are willing to kick their “but’s” and find the greatness that lies within them.

William Frank Diedrich is a speaker, executive coach, and the author of Beyond Blaming: Unleashing Power and Passion in People and Organizations. William offers keynotes and workshops on leadership and moving beyond blaming. William has developed the Leaders’ Edge, an online leadership class. Learn more about William at noblaming.com.

by Dennis Chighisola, a well-respected and long-time coach

I received a phone call yesterday, from a hockey mom wanting to know if I might give her son a recommendation.  Hmmmmmmmm…

So did my email inbox contain a pair of similar requests – one wanting my opinion on a certain hockey coach, and another from a coach asking about a player I’d recently had on my team.  There was another one in there, too, this asking if I could recommend one of my players for a rather exclusive team that was being formed over the spring and summer months.

Even while I was working at the local rink this past week, two different coaches asked my opinion on given players.

Yes, ‘tis the season when a hockey player’s reputation matters more than ever.  And it’s a time when a player’s, parent’s or coach’s track record either helps or hinders his or her next step up the hockey ladder.  Consequently, it’s a time when doors can either open or close for anyone involved in our game.

Actually, I probably shouldn’t make this sound like one’s past history only comes into play at this time of year.  However, with so many organizations looking ahead to the next season right now, it makes sense that a whole bunch of folks are seeking more input – about new coaching applicants, or about potential players.

Unfortunately – at least for some, as one hockey parent put it in a recent Facebook message to me, “Hockey seems a pretty small world.”  And she was right.  Word travels fast in hockey circles.  (As I so often joke, I can sneeze at my desk here in Whitman, MA, and I’ll shortly after receive an email — from somewhere like Rhode Island — offering a, “God bless you!”)  Oh, and while news does travel pretty fast within hockey circles, bad news probably travels faster and stays out there longer than anything good we’ve ever done.

Now, some folks might think this rather unfair – that even young players’ reputations follow them, and likely help or hinder them as they strive to make a higher level team.  However, isn’t that life?  I mean, that’s the way things will go in school as students seek special recognition, and it’s the way things are going to go for them once they’re out in the job market.

What a lot of hockey parents fail to realize is that their youngster’s reputation is pretty much a family affair.  To be honest, in my 40-ish years in coaching, I haven’t known very many bad kids.  On the other hand, I’ve had to deal with quite a few kids who were negatively swayed by their parents, some to the point where they were nearly uncoachable.

Really, I don’t want to go into all the horror stories most of us have already heard enough times.  Still, my sharing the following story just might explain an oft used expression of mine, in that, “the hockey family is a package deal”…

A few years ago, I accepted onto my team a youngster who came with quite a bit of so-called excess baggage.  It wasn’t something I looked forward to, but instead I was doing it as a favor for a friend.

The interesting thing was that the boy reported smiling, he willingly did everything asked of him, and he seemed a pleasure to coach.  Not trusting my own take on the matter, I eventually garnered the same impression from my two assistant coaches.  They felt he was a great kid, and willing to do anything they asked of him.  Hmmmmmmm…  The parents?

As I soon discovered, the mom was the family spokesperson, and I found she was at least a little “rough around the edges”.

As you might suspect, she wanted to lead our first telephone conversation, and I did let her release some seemingly pent-up feelings.  Pretty shortly, though, I asked her if she was ready to do some listening.

Now, I probably had something going for me that a lot of younger coaches don’t (yet), in that I’ve really been around, and most hockey parents at least know where I’ve been and what I’ve done.  (Hey, even if they don’t like me, most know they ought to listen to what I have to say.)

Thankfully, the mom seemed to be with me – as I explained my feelings about a family being a package deal, and that her son’s problems may be her doing.  And she even accepted the fact that others might not like her son – or want him on a team – just because they didn’t like her.

With that, I suggested we try to erase the past, give her son a clean slate, and perhaps help him build a new reputation that would help him in the future.

I can’t leave that last story without mentioning a gut feeling about that whole situation…  You see, while I never had one tiny problem with that boy, I believe the things I heard from past coaches to be true – that he didn’t get along with teammates, that he wasn’t all that easy to coach, and that he took numerous needless or foolish penalties.  What I think happened, however, is that he was being coached behind the scenes at home – and probably on rides to and from the rinks, and that the parents – or the mom – convinced him to play a selfish game.  Oh, the boy didn’t change his stripes when he reported to me; I think he was always a good kid at heart.  But, as I’m trying to warn my faithful friends here, his problems most likely stemmed from someone other than his past coach or team.

I led off with that story to help me make my point when it comes to subtler, but still similar situations, where parents have more influence over players than their coaches.  Hey, let’s face it, we coaches are lucky to have the kids’ attention for a couple of hours per week.  And it’s doubtful we can undo in that short span all that’s been ingrained at home and on those drives to the rink.

For example, when I was recently asked by another coach about one of my players, the first thing that came to mind was that he has been late for almost every team function, practice or game.  And over the course of a season, his game has slipped accordingly.  So, when the other coach asked if he was my best player, all I could say was, “He may have been at the start of our season, but not anymore.”

Another youngster has also been asked about by higher level coaches, and all I could think about as I answered was his unwillingness to share the puck with linemates over recent months.  Oh, and it wasn’t like he was one of our studs – I expect those types to handle the puck a little more, and to even take the shots if they have them.  But he’s a middle of the pack player, who needs to dish the puck off more and then break to an opening for a better scoring chance.

The examples don’t stop there…

I’ve also heard some “cute”(?) things on my youngest team’s game bench over the course of this past season… Take, for example, a little guy mumbling something about ice-time on a team that just rolls two lines.  I mean, first, it would be hard to short-shift anyone when the lines operate that way.  But, can you imagine someone in the neighborhood of 7-years old coming up with that question – about ice-time? Give me a break!

Here’s yet another one…

On a young team, kids go off-side without thinking — errrrrrrr, or do they…  Well, on both of my teams this season, I’ve seen a few instances where I really had to wonder if a player went off-side on purpose.  You know the trick:  get the rush blown dead because you thought your mate should have passed to you.  Is that the kind of thing I’d tell another coach about?  Naw.  However, I can tell you from my perspective that the kid who truly does that on purpose has a larger body of work that falls in the same category.  In other words, if a player is pulling that kind of nonsense, you can be sure the rest of his or her game is also a little on the selfish side.

Anyway, where does the idea of going off-side on a teammate stem from?  Ha.  Few kids think that one up on their own, so you can be pretty sure a parent is behind that (and most of the other selfish play).

Oh, one more beauty…

I’m sure other coaches get bombarded with lots of calls or emails in reference to special teams being put together over the off-season.  I get them often, asking if I might have a player deserving of strutting his stuff in a “showcase” kind of tournament.

Such was the case not long ago, and it caused me to sit back in my chair to envision my roster.  Hmmmmm…  Just one player at the time seemed to have the skills and physical maturity to hold his own in such a format.  But then…  Ya, but then…

In the game freshest in my mind, I recalled that we were trying to mount a comeback with precious minutes remaining on the clock.  With that, I see a game official escort my guy to the penalty box, and I discover that the guy who is supposed to be one of our best weapons has taken a 10-minute misconduct penalty.  Worse yet, the ref coasts by our bench and softly lets me know that the kid took exception to some rough slot play by saying, “Ref, you suck!”

Well, you’d have to know the parents to appreciate that the boy cared more about himself than his teammates or the game they were playing.  Was he a bad kid?  Not really, but…

Okay, these last few points…

As I intimated above, I’ve seen few bad kids in my 40-ish years in coaching.  Instead, I’ve come to realize that kids don’t drive themselves to the rink or plan the day in a way that gets them there late on a regular basis.  And kids – at least usually – care more about being liked by their mates and coaches, so they’re not – again usually – born with the need to hog the puck, take selfish penalties, or not get along with game officials o their coaches.  Nor, I’ll suggest, do they count seconds in their shifts.

I’ve written this piece in hopes of letting parents know that it’s never too late to help their youngster develop the kind of reputation that will get them raves when a new opportunity comes along.

I think members realize that I love kids — of all ages, and I’m not about to purposely hurt anyone.  The problem, however, is a need to be truthful any time I’m asked about a given player.  That’s what I want when I ask the opinion of another coach.  Moreover, my reputation is on the line every time I recommend a player.  I don’t think I’m unique in this matter, either.  No, your son’s or daughter’s coach is most likely going to want to speak honestly when asked about him or her.  So, it seems up to the parents to help mold the kind of player everyone will love to recommend.

About Coach Dennis Chighisola

The seeds for New England Hockey Institute sprouted in 1976, when Dennis Chighisola attempted to fill what he thought was a growing need in the region, these being skill oriented training sessions that included game-related skating, puckhandling, passing and shooting.  The popularity of those early sessions grew such that Coach Chighisol ultimately expanded and operated some of the most successful hockey schools in the Northeast, with locations in MA, RI and PA.  (Numerous former and current NHL-ers have been among Coach Chic’s students.)

In 1979, Coach Chighisola studied at the Institute for Sport and Physical Culture in Moscow of the old Soviet Union, and that eye-opening experience still influences the way he teaches today. Coach Chighisol possesses a BS Degree in Physical Education & Coaching, with a Minor in Instructional Media.  And he holds USA Hockey’s highest certification as a Level 5 – Master Coach.

From the earliest days until present, Coach Chighisol has also head coached every level of amateur hockey — Mites through Juniors, he spent 3-years as a high school head coach, another 7-years as a college head coach.  In more recent years, he coaches teams under the New England Hockey banner.

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