Mind Over Sport

What are the best Habits for a hockey player?

Warren Nye — Wed, 06 May 2026 13:24:30 GMT

Unleash the Power of Knowledge!

Hey Folks,….thanks for joining me.

In our last post, Turning Failure into Instruction. we had covered on reflecting on past mistakes and disappointments, go back and check it out.

I also mentioned that we would have a look at the building of proper habits, especially for young hockey players. So here we are, let’s get at it!

The best habits for hockey players

The best hockey habits are the ones a player can repeat before practice, during practice, after practice, at home, and in games. Build them around this rule:

Small habit + repeated daily + tracked honestly = long-term improvement.

Hockey Canada’s long-term player development model emphasizes doing the right thing at the right stage, keeping development player-centered, and treating hockey growth as a long-term process rather than a one-season rush.

1. Create a simple daily hockey routine

A good player should have a repeatable routine like this:

Before school / morning:
Visualize one thing they want to improve today: skating, shooting, passing, checking, effort, communication, or confidence.

Before practice or game:
Arrive early, check equipment, hydrate, warm up, and get mentally focused.

During practice:
Compete on every drill, ask one good question, finish every rep properly, and never coast to the end of a drill.

After practice:
Stretch, cool down, eat, drink water, and write down one thing done well and one thing to improve.

At home:
Do 10–20 minutes of stickhandling, mobility, shooting, or video review.

2. Make skating the number-one skill habit

Great hockey players are usually great skaters. Build habits around:

Edges, starts, stops, crossovers, pivots, acceleration, balance, and body position.

A simple habit: every practice, the player picks one skating detail to focus on, such as “bend my knees,” “full stride recovery,” or “stop both ways.” Do not just skate more; skate with a purpose.

3. Build puck-touch habits every day

Players improve faster when they touch the puck often. At home, they can do:

5 minutes: stationary stickhandling
5 minutes: movement stickhandling
5 minutes: passing against a wall
5 minutes: shooting or quick-release work, if space is safe

The key is not fancy drills. The key is clean reps every day.

4. Train off the ice, but match it to age and stage

Off-ice training should support hockey, not burn the player out. Hockey Canada lists useful off-ice areas such as warm-up, stretching, plyometrics, balance and coordination, core training, agility, quickness, stickhandling, cool-down, nutrition, fluids, and hydration.

For younger players, focus on fun movement: jumping, sprinting, balance, coordination, games, and bodyweight strength.
For older players, add structured strength, power, speed, mobility, and recovery work with proper coaching.

5. Create recovery habits, not just training habits

A player who sleeps poorly, eats poorly, and never recovers will eventually slow down, get frustrated, or get injured.

Good recovery habits:

Sleep consistently. Youth athletes aged 5–13 are commonly guided toward 9–11 hours of sleep, and ages 14–17 toward 8–10 hours, with consistent bed and wake times.
Eat after training. Get protein, carbs, and fluids after practices and games.
Hydrate before feeling thirsty.
Take soreness seriously. Pain that changes skating, shooting, or stride mechanics should not be ignored.

6. Use a “one focus per practice” rule

Many players try to fix everything at once. That usually fails.

Before each practice, choose one focus:

“I will keep my feet moving after I pass.”
“I will talk on every breakout.”
“I will win inside body position.”
“I will shoot quicker.”
“I will backcheck hard to the dots.”
“I will keep my head up in traffic.”

After practice, score it from 1–5. This builds self-awareness.

7. Build game-day habits

A strong game-day routine might look like:

Night before: pack gear, hydrate, sleep, light stretch.
Before game: eat early enough, arrive on time, dynamic warm-up, review role.
During game: short shifts, hard stops and starts, talk, change properly, stay positive.
After game: thank coaches/teammates, cool down, eat, hydrate, reflect without overreacting.

The goal is to make good preparation automatic.

8. Build safety habits

Good habits also protect players. Any suspected concussion should mean the athlete is removed from play right away, kept out the same day, and not returned until cleared by a healthcare provider. After a concussion, return to sport should be gradual, medically supervised, and each step typically takes at least 24 hours.

Players should also make equipment checks normal: helmet fit, cage/visor, mouthguard, neck protection where required, skate sharpness, and properly fitted shoulder, elbow, shin, and pelvic protection.

9. Train the mind like a skill

The best players usually have strong mental habits:

They do not quit after mistakes.
They listen before defending themselves.
They compete even when tired.
They encourage teammates.
They focus on the next shift, not the last mistake.

A great habit after a bad shift is: breathe, reset, identify one correction, play the next shift hard.

10. Track habits with a simple scorecard

Use a weekly scorecard with five habits. Keep it simple:

Habit	Goal
Sleep	Consistent bedtime and enough hours
Skill work	10–20 minutes on non-practice days
Training	Mobility, strength, speed, or conditioning
Practice focus	One clear focus each practice
Reflection	One win + one improvement after ice time

A player does not need a perfect week. They need a repeatable week.

Best starter habit plan

For the next 14 days, use this:

Every practice: choose one focus before stepping on the ice.
Every day: 10 minutes of stickhandling or shooting.
After every ice time: write one thing done well and one thing to improve.
Every night: prepare gear and get to bed on time.
Every game: play the next shift with full effort, no matter what happened before.

That is how hockey habits become automatic: prepare well, practice with purpose, recover hard, reflect honestly, and repeat.

That’s it for today, get out there and

CRUSH IT!!

#BeTheChange

Coach Nye

Creating Good Habits

Warren Nye — Tue, 06 May 2025 14:45:16 GMT

Let’s talk hockey or, more specifically hockey players/athletes and their habits. As the hockey school season winds down and training camps begin in a month, most athletes look to build upon their summer skates and create a consistency of performance as they head into the season. Consistency of performance is a hard attribute to attain; I am not an advocate that an athlete has to be 100% efficient every day. When an athlete is at 100%, he is what we call “in the zone”. So why do we chase or expect this 100% efficiency when it is only on rare occasions that we achieve it? What if we were to create a logical model that allows our athletes to be 80-90% efficient on a consistent basis, this creates a better opportunity to reach “the zone” more often. In other words, the individual athlete’s bad days still contribute to their development, instead of a full write-off. As I watched games and skating over the last month, I realized that most amateur athletes struggle with this notion. I saw athletes who had the skill to take control at evaluation games but failed to do so. But why? The answer I always come back to is that to take control of games and to be a consistent 80-90% efficient athlete, the individual must be a creative self-managed athlete. Being a sufficiently self-managed athlete means that you have developed a strategic conscious effort (the act of being a disciplined thinker) in perceiving situations and your typical responses. Being a disciplined self-managed athlete means you have a plan, and I believe most of our athletes lack plans when dealing with setbacks and how they approach the game and their development. As we head into the new hockey season and hopefully as most athletes start to view their goals, we need to develop their agendas and intentions to increase consistency of performance. Therefore, in moving forward, the following chart r aspects that athletes can ask themselves as they try to become d thinkers in their approach to the game: Daily, what is my work ethic like? Am I running effective development/training sessions? Am I aware of what sparks me and what holds me back? How do I deal with adversity? Self-Awareness requires assessment. What are my strengths and weaknesses? By asking these simple questions on a weekly basis, athletes begin to spin a web of focus points for development and will start to pick out common themes in how efficient they are as an athlete. High performers are very self-aware, which leads to a consistent performance; even on their bad days, they are still contributing. So, as we embark on the 2023-2024 season, instead of just going through the motions, step outside your comfort zone and logically analyze your development path and efficiency in all facets of the game. The pressure of high performance is an opportunity, not a threat. Until next time, #BeTheChange Coach Nye

3 Levels of Athletic Discipline

Warren Nye — Tue, 06 May 2025 14:45:16 GMT

A successful athlete holds numerous qualities that contribute to their overall performance level. In addition to physical attributes and talents, mental and emotional qualities also play a large role in the way an athlete performs. One of the most crucial areas a player should focus on to improve their performance is discipline. At Mind Over Sport, we break discipline down into three different categories: emotional, visual, and physical. Emotional Discipline The emotional discipline focuses on the player’s ability to manage and choose their thoughts during training and game time. As fun and exciting as training and games can be, they often present high-stress levels for athletes. It’s imperative to a player’s performance to be able to manage their emotions during high-stress moments. Understanding and practicing emotional discipline gives players the ability to control their emotions and keep their focus on the task at hand. Visual Discipline Visual training and discipline are a huge focal point for players and athletes at Mind Over Sport. When a player is practicing visual discipline, they essentially can prioritize and process movement and images that are important to what is happening during training and game performance. Taking your focus and zoning in on what’s in front of you, the shot, the opposing team, the puck, etc.; this is a visual discipline that will improve what you’re focusing on during training or game day. Physical Discipline The final category of discipline for athletes to focus on is relative to their physical performance. As an athlete, adopting healthy habits is essential to maintaining and improving your level of performance. To enhance your game performance level, keep a healthy focus on eating and sleeping habits, as well as time management of other activities in your life. Your body is the machine that contributes to your success as an athlete; if you’re not properly taking care of your body, and setting the right goals, your athletic performance will be hindered. It’s essential for athletes of all levels to adopt healthy habits and maintain a specific discipline structure. For more on visual training and sports psychology visit Mind Over Sport. #BeTheChange Coach Nye

What is Self-Confidence Anyway?

Warren Nye — Tue, 06 May 2025 14:45:16 GMT

All athletes need to be confident because if you're not confident, it means you will be doubting yourself; second guessing your mechanics and decisions come game time. And when you second guess and overthink, you underperform. Self-Confidence in Sports is Defined As Self-confidence in sports is best described by two words: belief and trust. You must have the belief that you are highly skilled. That's the first part of it. There needs to be an understanding present that you have the physical skills needed to succeed. Think of this as the foundation of your confidence. You cannot have trust in yourself during games if you don't first have a strong belief in your skills. One thing about true belief is that it's not dependent upon other people. You aren't comparing your skills to others, or needing your coach to tell you that you have high-level skills. You simply have the understanding and belief in your skills that they are good enough to succeed. In addition to belief, self-confidence in sports involves trust. Think about this in terms of the trust you have in yourself to execute during a game. When I'm working with an athlete, I'll often talk about the difference between confidence in understanding and confidence in execution. Confidence in understanding is a lot like belief. It means you understand that you are highly skilled. But confidence in execution is where you have the trust in yourself that you can apply the skills you've worked hard for during games. So, with trust, think about application and execution during games. Now that we've broken down self-confidence in sports into belief and trust, there's one more level we can take it to, and that's the feeling you have when you are performing with important levels of confidence. Self-Confidence as a Feeling When you have a strong belief in your skills and you have trust in your ability to execute during games, what you're going to find yourself doing is performing at an elevated level. And when you do, you're going to want to repeat it. That's where this next aspect of understanding self-confidence in sports comes into play. When you are playing well, there's going to be a certain feeling you have and the mindset you're in. We can call this a state - your peak performance state. So, when I'm working with an athlete on building their self-confidence, one of the first places we look is their past good performances. The goal is to identify their peak performance state. Because to me, that is what defines self-confidence as a feeling for them. It's the state they're in when playing their best. What Keeps Athletes from Being Self-Confident Knowing what self-confidence is in sports, it's important to also understand all the factors that work against your confidence as an athlete. These are known as the killers of confidence. In all honesty, there are many things that can keep you from being confident. But we're going to focus on the three main ones I see athletes struggle with hyper-focusing on mistakes, negative self-talk, and outcome-oriented focus. Hyper-focusing on Mistakes This can happen during or after games and practices and is typically seen in athletes who are perfectionists. Hyper-focusing on mistakes doesn't mean you are examining your mistakes in a productive way, looking for ways to grow and improve. It means you are fixating on your mistakes and beating yourself up over them. What happens when you focus too much on your mistakes is that it begins to build a self-image where you see yourself as not good enough. Focusing on what you did well is crucial to building confidence because you need that momentum to truly build trust in your skills. Negative Self-Talk The way that you think will either help or hurt your self-confidence. If you are thinking negatively, this is going to significantly hurt the belief and trust you have in yourself. Negative self-talk can occur anytime, including before, during, and after a game. Leading into a game, negative self-talk will be centered around what may happen, what you don't want to have to happen, and thoughts of self-doubt. During a game, there are many opportunities to adopt negative self-talk, but one of the most common times is after a mistake. That's when it's easiest to begin beating yourself up. Something similar happens after games, if you tend to have a lot of negative thoughts focused on the mistakes you made. Over time, this type of thinking will continue to lower your confidence. Outcome-Oriented Thinking The third major factor that keeps athletes from playing with confidence is a type of thinking that's focused on the outcome. This is known as outcome-oriented thinking. The reason focusing on the outcome lowers your confidence is that most athletes aren't focused on what they want to have to happen...instead, they're thinking about what they don't want to have to happen. This type of thinking is present in athletes with sports performance anxiety. They think about what they don't want to have to happen and worry about making mistakes, which increases the anxiety they feel in the moment. As a result, their confidence drops. What Contributes to Confidence in Sports Now that you know three of the main confidence killers athletes face, it's time to get into the contributors to confidence in sports. Physical Preparation Without training your skills, it's going to be difficult to have a high level of belief in your skills. Physical preparation is a key element of building athletic confidence. Without demanding work, you won't be able to develop the skills you need to succeed. And not only that, but you won't be able to gain the needed belief in your skills. So, you want to make sure you are training as much as you can to make your skills second nature. The more comfortable you are with your swing, for example, the more belief you're going to have in it come game time. Experience To build trust in yourself and your skills, you need the experience of seeing yourself succeed. This is where athletes truly make the leap from simply believing that they're skilled, to trusting in their ability to execute during games. Now, this experience can be gained in a few ways, with the best and most impactful way being success during games. But don't think this means you can only gain this experience when you have an exceptional game. What matters are all the small successes. Every game and every practice there are things you do well. By focusing on them, you provide yourself with the experience of seeing yourself succeed. Your Thoughts The third contributing element to your confidence as an athlete is your thinking - what kinds of thoughts you have. Just as negative self-talk kills your confidence, positive and productive self-talk will increase your confidence. You want to make sure the thoughts you have before, during, and after a game are working to increase your confidence. You also want to make sure the thoughts you have daily are the same. The reason your thoughts are so important to your confidence is that it's your thoughts that lead to belief. If you think of something enough it becomes ingrained in your mind as a belief. Building Confidence in Sports Now that you know what confidence in sports is, the killers of confidence, and the three main elements that contribute to your confidence, it's time to begin taking steps to improve your confidence. There are two ways this can be done: on your own, or with a coach. So, get int ouch with me, Coach Nye, and let's do this! Until next time, #BeTheChange Coach Nye *Contributions from Eli Straw

Mental Game Strategies for Optimal Concentration

Warren Nye — Tue, 06 May 2025 14:45:16 GMT

You’ll learn how to focus on the process as well as learn how to refocus your mind when you’re distracted. What You Need to Know Superior concentration is a top priority for any athlete. Having an elevated level of concentration means that you can focus on the moment and on the correct performance cues that will help you perform. Likewise, good concentration also means coping with distractions. Focusing on the process means: • Being present Now (the here and now), not the last play. • Thinking about “one play at a time.” • Focusing only on execution, not the outcome. To be in the zone, you must focus on the moment, not the past or future. For example, if you dwell on a mistake you made, your focus is split between the past and the next play. Also, thinking about future outcomes, such as, I hope I don’t make a turnover, or don’t strike out, takes your focus away from the process during practice or competition. Four Steps to Focusing on the Process 1. Deﬁne the performance cues for your sport. (You may have already done a lot of this with process goals). 2. Uncover your top distractions that hurt concentration. Take notice when you are distracted or thinking too far ahead. 3. Immerse your mind in your process goals. Use process goals to help you focus on execution (Plan A for Focusing). 4. Use the 3 Rs to help you refocus (Plan B for Focusing). If you would like further coaching on Mental Game Strategies, then reach out to Coach Nye. BOOK NOW Until next time. Coach Nye #BeTheChange

Try These 5 Thinking Habits to Help You to be Successful

Warren Nye — Tue, 06 May 2025 14:45:16 GMT

Being successful starts with your thoughts. Thinking habits drive behaviors. Good or bad, productive or useless thought precedes action. Self-defeating thoughts can derail a career whether it’s leadership, selling, entrepreneurship… you name it. Clear, rational, and optimistic thinking leads to eventual success. To reach your career goals, adopt the mindset of the top 5%. Develop these five thinking habits to advance your career: 1. Initiative The super successful are self-starters. They wait for no one. Their minds crystallize their vision and they are emotionally connected to it. They are self-motivated to initiate each activity. They intuitively adapt to difficult situations and navigate around unforeseen obstacles without waiting for supervisory instruction. They ask these questions to move forward: How well have you developed your vision for your career? Are you excited about your goals? What drives you to achieve? 2. Personal Accountability This thinking habit prevents making excuses for a bad decision. The superstar’s brain enables them to be transparent with themselves. They make every effort to try and identify the cause of that bad decision. Their focus is more on correcting the problem to ensure future success than on protecting themselves from other people’s opinions. The focus is on learning from their mistake. Saving face is not relevant. They ask these questions to move forward: Do you shy away from transparency? Who in your life will tell you the truth about yourself? Can you handle the truth about your areas of development? 3. Integrative Processing They have the cognitive ability to break down each problem into manageable pieces and discern which are the critical components. They can assimilate all the variables of a situation into a single homogenous image and then use this understanding to make decisions regarding planning, resource allocation, and solving problems. They ask these questions to move forward: What is your process for breaking down a problem? Do you struggle with being overwhelmed by problems? Who do you trust to help walk you through problem-solving? 4. Emotional Distance Mega successful people and athletes can remain emotionally neutral (unaffected) by positive or negative experiences with others. Their mind does not internalize flattery or rejection. They are largely indifferent to surface-level emotions directed at them. Instead, they focus their attention on the mission, following their plan, listening, learning, and problem-solving. They ask these questions to move forward: Are you easily derailed when hearing criticism from others? Do you seek validation or affirmation from others? How is this affecting your ability to stay focused on your goals? 5. Self-Belief Their mind communicates success. They visualize succeeding at each step of the plan. For example, an athlete will have an outlined plan of action for his/her training. They believe in their abilities with accuracy. Their mind is absolutely convinced they will succeed. They ask these questions to move forward: Does your belief system reinforce achievement or defeat? What skills do you need to develop to achieve your goals? What do you believe about yourself that is not true… and is holding you back? Remember this, What you feed your mind feeds you … and will reveal itself in the person you become. Coach Nye #BeTheChange

THE TOP 7 WAYS TO DEVELOP TOUGH, FOCUSED, AND RESILIENT ATHLETES

Warren Nye — Tue, 06 May 2025 14:45:16 GMT

Athletes are creatures of habit. You see them doing certain exercises and warm-ups before a competition and then you wonder why do it that way, while another athlete is doing something totally different. When I speak with coaches and their teams I like to stress that there are ways to help the athletes get ready and develop into tougher, more focused, and even more resilient athletes. If you are a coach you can follow these steps with your team to help them reach a tremendous new level. If you aren't sure about a few of these steps please feel free to connect with the Coach and he will be happy to go through the process of the steps. THE TOP 7 WAYS TO DEVELOP TOUGH, FOCUSED, AND RESILIENT ATHLETES 1 TEACH THEM TO BREATHE. The fight or flight response is real and it’s also cumulative. If they are stressed about school or life, it will show up on the playing field. Remember, a little stress makes you tough, a lot of stress makes you weak. Pro Tip: Make sure you breathe, too. Even if it’s a few breaths in practice, timeouts, or breaks. Even small changes can make a big difference. 2 CELEBRATE FAILURE AND RISK. Start by talking about your own failure in the pre-practice huddle. Being vulnerable and honest builds immense trust and credibility. Show your ‘ugly’ stuff and they’ll respect you more. Pro Tip: Make failure a ‘thing’, one day a week, someone (starting with you) shares a failure story and gets high fives. 3 ENCOURAGE POSITIVE SELF-TALK IN AN ACTIONABLE WAY. Build up their self-awareness with questions like: “When you failed in that drill, what were you saying to yourself?” Then, help them SELF-correct with questions like, “What would have been a more helpful way of speaking to yourself?” Pro Tip: Combine this with the mistake/reset ritual for maximum impact (see tip #6). 4 DON’T PRETEND LOSING SHOULDN’T HURT BUT MAKE IMPROVING THE FOCUS. When you lose, talk about how proud you are that they fought to win (if they did). Always focus on the process of improving. Pro Tip: Keep the standards consistent so even when you win, call them out if they didn’t really push themselves. 5 TEACH POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS AND HOW TO VISUALIZE REALISTIC GOALS. Talk about your own goals, even if you think your adult goals won’t be relevant to them. They need to see you growing and stretching and dreaming (and failing). Pro Tip: Not sure where to start with affirmations and visualizations? See step 7 to learn about our popular BRAVR™ method. 6 HELP THEM CREATE A MISTAKE/RESET RITUAL FOR WHEN THEY DO FAIL, ESPECIALLY IN COMPETITION. This ritual has to be utilized in practice, too. Repetition is key. Pro Tip: For step-by-step instructions on mistake rituals and other competition routines, join us in our free masterclass for coaches: GameFace: Inside the Minds of Great Competitors. 7 TEACH THEM HOW TO VISUALIZE AND DO IT TOGETHER AS A PRE-PRACTICE MENTAL WARM-UP. We all need time to focus. It shouldn’t take long but it’s well worth a few minutes to warm up their minds just as you do their bodies. Pro Tip: You can read about our mental warmup with our popular 5-minute, the 5-step method in The BRAVR™ How-To-Guide. Whether if you are a athlete reading this or a coach, these simple but very powerful steps will help you and your game. As some have said, whatever advantage you can get use it for you to be better then what you are up against. #BeTheChange Coach Nye

The Confidence Conundrum

Warren Nye — Tue, 06 May 2025 14:45:16 GMT

Why do talented athletes struggle with confidence? Despite putting in challenging work and having the talent, it's common for athletes like you to get stuck in The Confidence Conundrum. There are three main explanations: 1. Major Adversity You are a talented athlete, but you can be sucked into the conundrum when you are hit with significant adversity. This can be experiencing a bad coach, a new team with less playing time, a performance slump, or a major setback (I.e., getting cut, sent down, or injured). You have experienced lots of success throughout your athletic career, but like every athlete, you will eventually face major adversity and if you don't have the right mindset this adversity will derail your confidence! 2. The Yo-Yo Effect You are like most athletes if you tie your self-confidence to getting the approval of others and achieving results. The problem with this is that your performance goes up and down, so does your confidence - just like a yo-yo. Plus, your self-image is dependent on how others view you instead of your actual abilities. 3. Own Worst Critic Being hard on yourself is necessary for growth and it has helped you get to your current abilities. The problem arises when you are TOO hard on yourself, and you are your own worst critic. The key to consistent confidence is having an accurate self-image. If you continue to be too hard on yourself then you will stay in The Confidence Conundrum. The bottom line is if your mind is full of self-doubt and you are playing afraid to make mistakes, then you are in The Confidence Conundrum. As a result, you play too safe, hesitate, and significantly underperform. Let's go back to the Race Car example: imagine having a great car but a driver who doubts their ability to pass opponents, is hesitant around corners, and is scared to attack the course - talk about NOT getting the most out of your car - what a waste! The good news is you don't have to stay stuck in The Confidence Conundrum. Take Jonathan Smith, for example, he is a good hockey player, but he wasn't getting much playing time in the OHL - he was on a talented team and the coach had him on the fourth line. He was in a Classic Confidence Conundrum Trifecta - frustrated with his situation (major adversity), his confidence was down (yo-yo effect), and he was beating himself up over his mistakes and lack of performance (his own worst critic). But after working on his mindset, he was able to break out of the conundrum: "I am so much more confident. I hold the puck more. I do what I can in the shifts I get, and I am more positive about hockey overall. I want to go to the rink and get even better now." He was back to playing like himself and finished the season with 19 points in his last 26 games. Which is a 386% improvement in points per game! If you find yourself getting stuck in The Confidence Conundrum and are not getting the most out of your abilities, then you will really benefit from our programs. Get started by booking your Free 1-on-1 Intro Session with the link below: Coach Nye's Calendar Until next time, #BeTheChange Coach Nye

What Separates a Good Athlete from a Great Athlete?

Warren Nye — Tue, 06 May 2025 14:45:16 GMT

In elite sports, it can often be difficult to find differences in top athletes that are visually apparent. The level of physical disparity is exceedingly small. So, what is it that separates the good from the great? Primarily, great athletes have a growth mindset. This idea, most associated with the research of Stanford University Professor Carol Dweck, argues that athletes who believe their talents can be developed, through consistent training, evaluation, and practice, will be more successful than those who have a fixed mindset. Athletes with a fixed mindset tend to believe that their talent is the key determinant of success and that their ability is fixed. These athletes end up not realizing their full potential. The best athletes understand that in the process of developing their talents, there will be obstacles along the way. They embrace the challenge of trying to get better every day and understand that failure is just another challenge that they need to overcome. “Rather than dwelling on defeats, outstanding athletes capitalize on the experience to learn and grow,” Great athletes welcome feedback from their coaches and use it to focus on areas of improvement. Less successful athletes tend to dismiss or ignore feedback and focus on the person providing it, rather than using it as an opportunity to reflect and grow. Curiosity is an important trait in elite athletes. Where average athletes see the success of others as a threat, great athletes find inspiration and motivation. They try to learn from the success of others by modeling their behavior and habits. The best athletes do not fear competition, but rather embrace it. They use it as motivation to push themselves to the next level and maximize their potential. Finally, the path to success for an athlete is based on challenging work, ownership, and application. The best athletes understand that they must apply themselves in every facet of their training if they want to be one of the ‘greats’. They take ownership of the process and know that they need to be the driving force along the journey. Effort is an essential trait here, and skills are the result of challenging work and dedication. “Talent alone won’t help you be successful in the long run,” “The best athletes work hard at seeking the small, yet consistent, gains in different areas of their development, rather than looking for the ‘magic bullet’ in one area of their training.” Click here to go to the Mind Over Sport recruitment page to help you further your career. Until Next time, #BeTheChange Coach Nye

Prepping for the Off-Season-Questions to be asking Yourself.

Warren Nye — Tue, 06 May 2025 14:45:16 GMT

Prepping for the Off-Season The end of a season was always a bittersweet time for me as an athlete; I felt the same way about it as a coach and as a GM. It’s the combination of being excited for some downtime and a reduction in training intensity with the acknowledgment that another year has passed, you may never play with certain teammates again, and you may begin wondering about what if any, progress was made. Asking the question, “what did I actually accomplish this year” can be intimidating and hard to answer if you haven’t been tracking your progress throughout the year. However, if you have been goal setting and tracking and measuring your progress throughout the season the first task of your off-season is to reflect on those goals. Did you accomplish them? What worked well? What still needs improvement? What can you do in your off-season, while you may not be playing games or practicing as frequently, to continue your progress? It’s important at this time that you’re careful not to judge the progress you made against what you didn’t. As soon as we start judging ourselves, we put our mindset into a negative, unproductive state. It will be impossible for you to see what went well in the journey as soon as your mindset gets into this space and what went well is just as important to know what went well as it is to know what didn’t go well. Once you have that answer, it’s time to start thinking about your plan. What can you do to continue to push your progress forward on those goals? Remember that being specific is crucial—your brain needs a roadmap. Make it simple, step by step, so that it’s easy to measure. And then, after you’ve taken time to allow yourself to recover, it’s time to get back to work and it’s time to prepare! MOS-4 Powerful Benefits to Being Prepared .pdf Download PDF • 222KB I have included a simple template* for you to follow and ask yourselves some of these questions. Share with your team and others as you approach the end of the season because it's just not the end but a new beginning. *Reviewing the Past Year 2023 MOS-Reviewing the Past Year 2023 .pdf Download PDF • 233KB Until next time. #BeTheChange Coach Nye