5 Myths of Mental Toughness
By Andrew Trimble
Congrats… You made it through another season of hockey, or you are embarking on a new season.
With this article I’ll try to debunk some of the common myths I’ve seen and experienced with mental toughness as it relates to hockey. I hope it comes at a time when players need it, and can apply it so that they will be ready, engaged and motivated to have their best season yet. I hope it informs you and gives you that little extra level of motivation to push through the difficulties experienced last season (by everyone) and reach your potential.
MYTH #1- Little Johnny has it so easy
STATEMENTS OVERHEARD IN RINKS
“Kids today have it so easy.”
“Kids have changed… too much hand-holding these days.”
According to a recent poll, 22% of teenagers log on to their favorite social media site more than 10 times a day, and more than half of adolescents log on to a social media site more than once a day.2 Seventy-five percent of teenagers now own cell phones, and 25% use them for social media, 54% use them for texting, and 24% use them for instant messaging.3 Thus, a large part of this generation’s social and emotional development is occurring while on the Internet and on cell phones. The Impact of Social Media on Children, Adolescents, and Families | American Academy of Pediatrics (aappublications.org)
Social media and cell phones have changed the landscape for our children and young athletes dramatically within a short period of time. Kids, who used to be seeking personal approval from a small group of people surrounding them (teachers, parents, peers etc), now are seeking approval from a much wider group of people the world over. Even more damaging, this world is a filtered environment. A place where you can put out to the universe only your best version of yourself both physically and emotionally. In a brief period of time, this paradigm shift has altered our kids. Just look at these numbers:
- Suicide is the second-leading cause of death for older teens and young adults.
- The suicide rate has been increasing from 2007 through 2017.
- The rate went from 6.8 deaths per 100,000 people to 10.6, according to the CDC report.
- Teen Suicide Rate Spikes 56% in a Decade (healthline.com)
Did you know, “Research shows that in 2000, the average attention span of a person was 12 seconds. Nowadays, it’s 8 seconds” The Teenage Attention Span is Short. Plan Accordingly (yourteenmag.com)
Life isn’t easier nowadays for every kid, but it is different than a generation ago. The best coaches and teachers recognize these challenges and seek to create a space where kids and athletes can grow, develop and mature, rather than trying to change history. Recognize the challenges, create a curriculum and a culture, and then challenge these athletes to be the best they can be.
The development of mental toughness is critical within this stage of maturity. By utilizing the language that appeals to them and creating physical challenges that still push them, you can get them to work through adversity and use constructive peer pressure to have them succeed. Take, for example, the Ice Bucket Challenge:
The Ice Bucket Challenge, sometimes called the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, was an activity involving the pouring of a bucket of ice water over a person’s head, either by another person or self-administered, to promote awareness of the disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as motor neuron disease and in the United States as Lou Gehrig‘s disease) and encourage donations to research. The challenge was co-founded by Pat Quinn and Pete Frates;[1] it went viral on social media during July–August 2014.[2][3] In the United States, many people participated for the ALS Association, and in the United Kingdom, many people participated for the Motor Neurone Disease Association,[4] although some individuals opted to donate their money from the Ice Bucket Challenge to other organizations.[5]
The challenge encourages nominated participants to be filmed having a bucket of ice water poured on their heads and then nominating others to do the same. A common stipulation is that nominated participants have 24 hours to comply or forfeit by way of a charitable financial donation.[6]… raised over $220M worldwide for the disease.
Ice Bucket Challenge – Wikipedia
A generation ago, without social media platforms, this type of fundraising would have been nearly impossible and have necessitated tremendous amounts of staff and financial infrastructure to have been able to accomplish. In 2015, all it took was a bucket of ice and a cell phone.
Recognize this generation’s strengths. Have them work through adversity. Develop and nurture their creativity. They’ll be stronger for it in the long run.
MYTH #2- You either have it or you don’t
“I grew up a fat kid, overweight, where a lot of kids in my school at the time wouldn’t give me the time of day. They wouldn’t even play with me. For four years I never went out for recess,” Walker said. “And I used to have a speech impediment where the teachers used to put me down. They didn’t think that I could ever learn.
“. . . I started training, I started doing these things to feel good about myself and I think that’s when it took off,” Walker added. “Today, I don’t ever want to go back to that place… Walker rushed for 5,249 yards and 49 touchdowns in three years at Georgia, culminating in his 1982 Heisman Trophy-winning season. That was the prelude for a 15-year professional career that included 12 seasons in the NFL and three in the now-defunct United States Football League. Herschel Walker wouldn’t let bullying block his way to stardom | FOX Sports
Not every kid has the mental toughness to physically transform their bodies through a self-imposed regiment of hundreds of sit-ups, squats, and pushups a day like Herschel Walker did. Dramatically changing who you are physically was the catalyst for Walker to emotionally change who he was as well, becoming an elite athlete within a few short years, after never playing prior to this change.
Yet, most scientists view mental toughness as not a stagnant skill, but rather a muscle. A muscle that needs constant exercise in order to grow and mature. For the teams I work with or coach, challenging them in 3 specific ways, hard wires mental toughness skills.
- Developing Good Habits- Create a schedule, and write out (with detail) what your day will look like.
- “I control the things I can control, and I do not stress over the things I can not control”- utilize this mantra, have the kids write it out, and put it in their locker stall, backpack, or on the home screen of their cell phone.
- Community Service- With each of my teams I require them to perform community service. By selflessly serving others, they are forced to do things for other people with little or no personal gain for themselves. This creates a culture of giving, not just receiving.
Mental toughness later on in life will be a skill that is more important than any weight they lift or lap they skate. Working hard, sacrificing, and dedication to others, will play an important role in the families that they are a part of, the teams they are on, the businesses that they either own or work for, and much much more. Keep these 3 components as a guide, and develop your strategy for your teams so that they can exercise this incredibly important skill. You will create much better people and players by doing so.
MYTH #3- There is no way to prepare for something like that
There are 75 seconds left to go in the game… your team is down by one… you are playing on the road…
How can you know how your team will respond in difficult situations unless you practice and put them in difficult situations? How can you expect them to perform unless you drill and coach them what to do when faced with adversity?
Game situation training is critical to developing confidence and mental toughness. It’s an essential piece in training your athletes to be able, ready, and willing to accept challenges during difficult environments.
Simulators have long been a staple in astronaut training starting with those used by Mercury astronauts and advancing to the motion-based flight deck simulator shuttle astronauts spent hours inside working on launch and landing skills… The trainers used Tuesday were tailored to various aspects of the Starliner operations. Other simulators will be built to cover all the aspects of spaceflight, from boarding the spacecraft at the launch pad, to safely climbing out at the end of the mission. Just as it was for the flight portions of mission preparation, the goal is to prevent the astronauts from being surprised.
“The simulations are important for the flight tests, because this is the place to put it all together,” said Boe. “Think of the part-task trainer as our training wheels. As we get more familiar with the systems, the training wheels will come off and we will start advancing to the next systems. Eventually, we will work with another crew member, then with the whole flight control team.” Simulators Give Astronauts Glimpse of Future Flights | NASA
NASA trains its pilots and astronauts in a wide variety of flight experiences. They don’t just run through perfect flight experiences. Instead, they run through every possible scenario within a flight experience. Electrical malfunction, operational breakdown, adverse weather, medical issues and much more could possibly happen during a flight. Preparation is paramount.
The same occurs with sports, so train your athletes to prepare. It might only be 5 minutes at the beginning of practice, 10 minutes at the end of practice, a video session following practice or a dryland run through on an off day, but this time spent might make the difference in your team winning an extra game or two throughout the year, making the playoffs or winning the championship. Prepare your teams to be prepared.
MYTH #4- Back in My Day
There’s no doubt players are bigger and stronger today than they were 40 years ago –
As football players looked to get bigger in the 1970s, strength training programs borrowed the strategies used in body building, Olympic lifting and track and field. Initially, the idea was to get big and strong with less of a focus on flexibility and what a player actually does during a game.
Since then, trainers started focusing on movements and skills specific to the sport. In football, where you’re not always standing with two feet on the floor, the way you train had to change. Football strength training has gotten more integrated – pulling elements from physical therapy, sport psychology and multiple performance areas. How strength training has changed in a few generations (usafootball.com)
My Dad said it to me and your father or coach, I’m sure, said to you. “Training was tougher in my day.” I’m sure it was. Computers also were the size of entire offices and got so hot they needed internal cooling systems. Inefficiency definitely doesn’t mean better. Back in the Day, and returning to tried and true practices, certainly doesn’t mean improvement. Embrace new concepts and innovation… This can be essential in creating better athletes.
Studies have shown that strength training is essential to improving an individual’s self esteem and confidence. Additionally working within the confines of a strength program or with a strength coach, creates accountability and discipline. These concepts are critical to building mental toughness- Confidence, Accountability, Discipline.
Take for example the link between serotonin and exercise:
- Around 75 percent of serotonin in the body can be found in the cells of the gut. The main purpose of such a chemical is to control intestinal movements. The remaining 25 percent is synthesized in the brain. The rate of serotonin production in the neurons determines the mood of a person. High serotonin levels are linked with elevated or happier moods, whereas low levels are linked with feelings of anxiety and depression.
- Further, studies have also been able to establish two primary mechanisms wherein exercise increases serotonin levels in the brain. Firstly, physical activities increase both the frequency and rate of serotonin release in the brain. Likewise, serotonin synthesis also increases. Secondly, exercise also increases the production of tryptophan in the brain. Tryptophan is an amino acid that is used in the synthesis and release of serotonin.
3FatChicks on a Diet! – Diet & Weight Loss Support
In summation, if you wanna build confidence and the mental toughness in your team or individual players, make sure you have them on a regimented strength and conditioning program. Embrace modern techniques that improve the overall athleticism of your athletes, with a mindfulness on injury prevention, flexibility and core strength. Challenge them to work hard both on and off the ice, and they will see tremendous benefits in all aspects of their lives.
MYTH #5- Group Therapy is Soft
After a long and difficult experience at a showcase during my first season of coaching Junior hockey, I brought in a Life Coach, to speak with the team and address some of the accountability issues and group dynamics. The kids enjoyed it, so I did it again the following week. Slowly things started to change within the team. Kids began to find roles and communicate more effectively. Suddenly, a team that had 3 wins and 8 losses, post – Christmas was in second place in their division and had 20 wins. We made the playoffs in that inaugural year, and have never looked back since.
These Friday group sessions became part of the culture of the program, and (in a non- COVID year) we have employed our Life Coach to do this ever since that first (2014-15) season.
It can go by many different names, but here are the some of the advantages of Group Therapy, Life Coaching, Seminars, or Peak Performance Counseling:
- Group therapy assures individuals that they are not alone and that other individuals share similar problems and struggles. The famous psychiatrist Dr. Irvin David Yalom, one of the acknowledged gurus of group therapy, terms this the principle of universality.
- Group therapy offers the opportunity to both receive support from others and to give support to others. Both of these notions are important in treatment. Receiving support from others is part of the bonding or therapeutic alliance that occurs in groups, whereas giving support to others allows for growth and learning.
- The therapeutic alliance that occurs in groups is broader than the alliance that occurs in individual therapy. This allows for the incorporation of many different points of view.
- Group therapy helps individuals develop communication skills and socialization skills, and allows clients to learn how to express their issues and accept criticism from others.
- Group therapy allows individuals to develop self-awareness by listening to others with similar issues.
- Sharing one’s experiences with others with similar problems is often itself therapeutic.
- Group therapy provides a broad safety net for individuals who may otherwise be hesitant to discuss their feelings, perceived weaknesses, etc.
- Individuals in group therapy can model the successful behaviors of other individuals who have gone through similar experiences. Modeling is a form of learning where individuals learn by copying or imitating the actions of others.
- Group therapy is typically less expensive than individual therapy.
Group Therapy vs. Individual Therapy (americanaddictioncenters.org)
Now over the years, we have had many players laugh or talk to me about this process and feel it is a little “weird” or “Kumbaya”. In these instances, I listen to what the players are telling me, but tell them to “give it more time”. We, as coaches and leaders, have a responsibility to expose and teach our athletes and kids new ideas and methods which could improve their lives. Additionally, we as the leaders, set the standard. It is our program, our team, our culture that we create. That can not be swayed by the immaturity of an individual player or athlete.
Group therapy takes time. The interactions and experiences do not improve in one sitting, so you will need to allot time every week or month, to incorporate these sessions into your schedule.
Moreover, as a coach, I’ve found that the sessions have the best results when you can create a safe space for the Life Coach or Counselor to do their work. So I only introduce and facilitate these meetings. I do not sit in on these meetings.
Looking back now on the 7-8 years we’ve utilized these group sessions within our New England Wolves Jr Hockey program I can honestly say it’s been one of the huge game changers for our program and our athletes. It has helped develop better communicators, with team centered goals. It has assisted young men in time- management and overcoming obstacles in their school work. It has aided maturing young men to become leaders within a group, and pushed natural leaders to accept new responsibilities and challenges. It kept student/athletes motivated and mentally tough during a season’s natural ups and downs.
It has been the centerpiece of creating Mentally Tough student/athletes.
Andrew Trimble is the General Manager and Co- Owner of the New England Wolves Hockey Club. He is also the Owner of Scoring Concepts LLC, a New Hampshire based hockey training company that offers camps, clinics, private lessons and teams. He has coached at all levels from Learn to Skate to College Hockey. For more info on his teams and programs check out- www.scoringconcepts.com or www.ne-wolveshockey.com
