To be sure it has been an adventurous “off-season”. The camps, the tryout sessions and the showcase events have been great to see and evaluate of the players.
For me the summer is now over. It will be three weeks of continuous training camp visits and final player evaluations of the camp invites. With player positions on the line it is the most interesting, and sometime most stressful of times.
For many player, summer will end this week or next. The hard training is done, and the positioning within the team dynamic is about to begin. But, before the intensity of the season is to take place you must take a moment to breathe.
Success in the upcoming season will largely be determined by how well the player trained in the summer. Working now for a week or two if you have not put in the work the last few months will not make a difference. Preparation is key, and those that have prepared will be rewarded over the course of the coming season.
Those that have put in the work must remember that the time to breath and the time to rest is before more work begins. I encourage every player to take at least two days before you leave for your team to just relax.
Get away from the gym. Get away from the ice. Get away from thinking about hockey at all for at least two days.
As much as your body needs to rest, your mind needs to rest as well. Soon the pressure to perform will be front and center on your body and mind. A rested mind and body always perform better when called upon.
Look at the two-day break as your extended pre-game nap.
You want to walk into your dressing room, trained, rested and mentally ready to take on the long challenge of the season. By now you should have set your own personal goals for the season. This will be the last step in the preparation to achieve those goals.
As I prepare to go on to the camp for the next few week. I want to thank all of you who have read my word this summer, and I want to wish all of you the best in the upcoming season.
Coach
