Jan 27, 2020 | Daryll Smith | 391 views
Making Changes at the End of the Season
This is the time of the year when players,
parents and coaches start looking for advice on how they can make sure that
they are performing their best as they prepare for the playoffs and play downs.
At this critical time of the season, when championships are won and lost everyone is looking to gain that final advantage that will put them over the top. It's a great mind set to have - to constantly be looking for a way to get a leg-up on the competition - but the reality is, that at this time of the season, too much change is not good.
If you've had the same pre-game routine all season long, and it has been working well, now is not the time to throw a wrench in it by changing the warm-up or changing your pre-game meal. By this point in the season, you should have figured out what works out best for you as an individual. You can definitely make small changes that make a huge difference - like drinking more water before and in between games to make sure you're completely hydrated, or like adding a few extra minutes to your off-ice warm-up to work on some mental preparation. But don't completely change what you've been doing all year as most certainly your pre-game routine has probably been a key part to your success.
Last but not least, the biggest difference between the start of the season and the end is that the stakes are much higher now and the stress levels of players, parents and coaches all seem to skyrocket through the roof. If you are going to make any change at this point in the year, think about some strategies you can use to minimize the amount of stress that you are going to feel. We'd all like to think we could "just play" and not worry about the fact that winning every shift, period, and game is critical, but the reality is, it's always in the back of your mind.
The funny thing is that nothing about the game itself has changed - it's just that the way that we are thinking about the game changes. We let the potential outcome of the games weigh heavily on our minds, instead of thinking about the process that got us here.
That's why it's so important not to make drastic changes at this point of the season. When you do, what you are basically saying is that what made you successful all season long is no longer enough. That's a dangerous message to send when championships are on the line. What you need most right now is confidence that all the time and effort you've put in so far has gotten you where you are now and that with a few small changes, you can make sure that you are playing your best when it counts. (Kim McCullough - Total Female Hockey)
Have confidence; believe in what you have learned and play smart “Lady Ranger Hockey”!