Pre-season is the perfect time to build not just physical strength, but also mental resilience. Your mindset is the foundation of how you perform, handle pressure, and push through the challenges of a long season. To make sure you enter the season with the right mental tools, here are some mindset hacks to elevate your game.
Pre-season is a time to sharpen your focus on what you want to achieve during the upcoming season. Break your goals down into three categories: long-term (season goals), mid-term (monthly goals), and short-term (weekly goals). Clear, actionable goals will keep you motivated and driven, helping you stay on track throughout the season.
Hack: Make your goals measurable. Instead of saying, “I want to improve my shot,” say, “I will take 100 shots after every practice for 30 days.” This way, you have a concrete goal to strive for and can measure your progress.
Visualization is a powerful mental training tool used by elite athletes. By imagining yourself succeeding in various game situations, you can train your brain to respond with confidence during the actual games. This doesn’t just apply to big plays, but also to overcoming obstacles like fatigue, mistakes, or tough opponents.
Hack: Visualize both positive outcomes and potential challenges. Picture yourself bouncing back from mistakes, staying composed, and finding solutions to difficult situations. This builds mental resilience and prepares you to thrive under pressure.
Pre-game routines are crucial for getting into the right mental space. Use the pre-season to craft a routine that helps you stay focused, calm, and confident before games. Whether it’s listening to music, doing breathing exercises, or visualizing your performance, find what works best for you.
Hack: Test and refine your routine during pre-season games and scrimmages. Find the combination of actions that gets you into a peak mental state and commit to using it consistently once the season starts.
Hockey is a fast, intense game that requires you to be present in the moment. Practicing mindfulness during the pre-season will help you stay focused and avoid distractions during the season. By training your mind to focus on the “now,” you’ll make better decisions and react faster under pressure.
Hack: Start small—just 5 minutes of mindfulness each day. Focus on your breath, and if your mind starts to wander, gently bring it back. This simple practice will improve your in-game focus and help you block out distractions on the ice.
In hockey, as in life, setbacks are inevitable. Players with a fixed mindset view mistakes as failures, while those with a growth mindset see them as opportunities to improve. Entering the season with a growth mindset will help you stay resilient through slumps, injuries, or tough games.
Hack: After each practice or pre-season game, review your performance and identify one thing you did well and one area to improve. Focus on learning from both successes and mistakes. This simple reflection process helps shift your focus from outcomes to continuous growth.
Mental toughness is the ability to stay calm, focused, and confident, no matter what challenges arise. Pre-season is the perfect time to push your mental limits and build this toughness. Whether it's through high-intensity workouts or challenging drills, embrace the discomfort and push through.
Hack: Set mini-challenges for yourself during pre-season. For example, if you’re exhausted in a workout, push for an extra rep or minute. This will train your brain to stay strong in difficult situations, making you more resilient during games.
Positive affirmations are a powerful tool for boosting confidence. By repeating affirmations regularly, you program your mind to believe in your abilities, which can lead to improved performance on the ice. Start incorporating affirmations into your pre-season routine to build an unshakable belief in yourself.
Hack: Create 3-5 personal affirmations that resonate with you, such as “I am fast, focused, and unstoppable” or “I thrive under pressure.” Repeat them before practices, workouts, and games to build a strong sense of self-belief.
In hockey, there are many things you can’t control—the referees, the weather, your opponent’s skill level. Trying to control these uncontrollables leads to frustration and loss of focus. Pre-season is the time to train your mind to focus only on what you can control: your effort, your attitude, and your preparation.
Hack: Before each practice or game, remind yourself of the things you can control. If something doesn’t go your way during a game, refocus on your controllables and let go of the rest. This keeps your energy where it’s most effective.
Mindset is contagious, so surround yourself with positive influences during the pre-season. This could be teammates, coaches, or friends who encourage you, push you to be your best, and stay positive when challenges arise.
Hack: Limit time spent around negative people or distractions. Instead, seek out teammates who inspire you and work together to create a winning, growth-oriented mindset.
The pre-season is all about pushing limits—mentally and physically. The more comfortable you get with discomfort, the stronger you’ll be when the regular season starts. Embrace the hard moments, whether it’s a tough workout or a bad practice, as opportunities to grow stronger.
Hack: When you’re tired or frustrated, remind yourself that this is where growth happens. Say to yourself, “I love this challenge” or “This is making me stronger.” Training your brain to embrace discomfort will give you a mental edge during games.
The mental side of hockey is just as important as the physical, and pre-season is the perfect time to hone these skills. By building a strong, resilient mindset now, you’ll enter the season confident, focused, and ready to face whatever challenges come your way. Train your mind like you train your body, and watch your performance soar.
