The sport of hockey offers the same challenges. You question your skills. You question your talent. You question the health of your mindset. The inner critic can be a formidable obstacle that can hold you back from achieving your full potential on the ice. But, here is the good news. It does not have to be this way. You can have control.

Finding your "flow" in hockey can be a game-changer for your performance and enjoyment of the sport. You will feel faster. You will feel more efficient. You will block more shots. You will score more goals. The game will feel as if it were in a slow motion where you can read and see where the puck will be.

Burnout is very real and when not managed properly it can undo any player. It can turn the greatest to good and those who are good to bad. The goal moving forward is to be self-aware and take breaks, set new goals, and change up your routines if needed. If you can approach everything with a proactive spirit, burnout can be avoided and if you are in it, these recommendations can also help you get out of it.

Conscious breathing is the simple act of being more mindful with your breathing. Take a proactive stance this week and plan a time to practice the technique. You only need to set aside a few minutes to get familiar with the process. Do it enough times and it will become second nature and hopefully a part of your pre-game planning procedure. The result will be a more confident and calmer you.

Paul Kariya was a prolific hockey player. He was fast. He was highly skilled. He was an amazing goal scorer for 15 seasons in the NHL. The reason he was so profound is because he never allowed himself to get rattled by the other team. He knew his purpose was to score goals so he always focused on that outcome. In tense situations, he was great at managing his feelings and emotions which him calm under pressure.

Every hockey team needs both Introverts and extroverts to truly succeed. The advantages and disadvantages offered by both personality groups is what makes every team so unique and dynamic. It is now your responsibility as a hockey player and teammate to acknowledge your strengths and mitigate your weaknesses to help set up you team for the best possibility of success.

Introverts and extroverts both exist in the game of hockey. Each personality brings unique strengths and weaknesses on the ice and one is not better than the other. The key to your success though lies in your ability to dial into those strengths and find ways to mitigate your weaknesses.

Grit is defined as a person's ability to persevere and maintain passion and effort towards long-term goals. In the terms of hockey, it is a battling through a tough shift or a long season. Talent refers to a natural ability or aptitude for a particular skill or activity. Again, in relation to hockey, think about one's ability to stickhandle or skate well.

Developing and maintaining confidence is a challenging component of every hockey player's mental game. It requires you to step back, pause, reset, and be intentional about the feelings and thoughts which exist in your head. It is the mental game of turning off and tuning out at the garbage and keeping the positive and energy giving thoughts and statements. The good news is with some practice and deliberate effort, you can begin to automate these processes which will result in a more confident you.

Creating a power statement is a valuable tool for every hockey player looking to improve their performance and mental game. Carve out some time in the days ahead to write down a few statements that work for you and your playstyle. Pick a few of your favorites and see if you can use them to construct a paragraph. Memorize it and then lock into it anytime you need it. If you make this a new healthy routine, your mental game will begin to elevate.

Hockey is fast paced, physically demanding, and one of the most technical challenging sports around. It is not only tough on the body it is equally challenging for the mind. This component is one of the areas of hockey which I love most about the game. You must have a winning mindset or you will never grow or prosper in the sport.