As some training camps are already underway, the rest will follow in the next few weeks. Many players are preparing for this stressful time. When harnessed, stress can have a positive influence on performance. However, if the stress level is too high, it will affect performance negatively.
Most of us know or have heard of athletes not performing well in pressure situations. So how can we ensure that the stress level does not reach that negative threshold? Well, let’s start with confidence. A confident athlete will rarely be overwhelmed by stress. Imagine taking a test in school when you know the material well, where no question will surprise you because you understand the subject inside and out. Will this be a stressful situation? Nope, you’ll take that test with a high level of confidence. Now, imagine the same test, but this time, you only know some of the material, and you haven’t studied at all or very little…How does this situation sound? The confidence will undoubtedly be low. Let’s take it a bit further; imagine yourself sitting at your desk as you start reading the questions, and the first two are on specifics that you did not study…now what? PANIC! The lack of confidence will leave you easily flustered.
What was the main difference between these two scenarios? Why was there confidence in one scenario and panic in the other? One word…preparation. Studies show that confidence is positively affected by prior successes and preparation. You were prepared for the test in the first scenario, feeling confident. As for the second scenario, you had not studied and, as a result, had little to no confidence in your abilities to succeed. This state of mind makes it very hard to perform at your best. Sadly, too many athletes attend tryouts unprepared and, to make things worst, have very high expectations. This is a combination that is bound to fail. As an athlete, if you don’t want to put in the effort during the summer, that’s okay, but don’t show up to camp expecting results.
Now, what about the kid with talent that never prepares and makes all the teams, you ask? Don’t worry; he may get away with it for a while, but one of these days, he’ll be caught by surprise, and it could be too late. Do you really think Sidney Crosby made it to the NHL on his talent alone? Without preparing during the off-season? The amount of work these professional athletes have and continue to put into their craft is incredible. Multiple studies show that you can become an expert in any field you want, but there’s one condition, work, a crazy amount of work. Unfortunately, most of us prefer to say that we don’t have the talent to reach the highest levels instead of doing the necessary work.
It’s supposed to be hard. If it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it. The hard is what makes it great…
A League of their Own
Now, this being said, should 9-year-old kids work out six days a week? Of course not! Different stages of hockey development need to be respected to augment the chances of success. High-performance coaches can help guide you through these different stages. But one thing is for sure, everybody getting medals and not keeping score is not the answer either, but that’s for another blog.
Before we finish, let’s circle back to our naturally gifted athlete who doesn’t like to prepare. Remember the kid that never studied at school and got good marks? Everybody was envious. Do you think this kid went on to get a medical degree without studying? No, he either adapted his studying method or dropped out, simple as that. You just weren’t around to see it. The same situation happens to those excellent young hockey players who do not put in the work off the ice. Everyone is jealous of them, but they’ll need to adjust or be left behind too. Sadly, very few of them do, and they end up playing in their local beer league. Nothing is stopping any of you.
Work hard, prepare, perform and remember: “It’s supposed to be hard. If it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it”
English (Canada) 
Français du Canada