There is no better feeling than being on a team that is winning. However, when team losses begin to pile up, the locker room, the video room, and practices can become emotionally unsafe places. This is because when a coach or player is under stress, their energy contracts (catabolic), and they will often find themselves having the fight, flight, or freeze responses in the moment – the body’s natural responses to dealing with stress reactions. It becomes the interference (distractions) in the performance equation:
Performance = Potential – Interference (stress reactions)
Discussions can become about what’s wrong and who or what is to blame. Unity is replaced with discord, silence, and/or the blame game. The mind/energy connection to performance becomes very evident, especially during adversity. Energy either contracts or expands. Higher performance is found in the expansive (anabolic) energy; when a player is calm, intuitive, creative, and just being the game, as when there are in the hockey ‘zone.’ When a player or coach is under stress reactions, their energy contracts and they do not show up as the most effective, version of who they can be; either at the rink or at home. They may feel alone and blamed for the team performing poorly, then begin to shut down emotionally. Frustration, anger, or helplessness to change the current situation may cause them to disengage. Emotionally, being in a losing slump feels terrible. In the energetic field, we don’t attract what we want, we attract who we are being. Team morale negatively suffers, and every game played can feel like a grind. The team may begin to experience negative mojo. They stop enjoying the process. Their confidence in themselves, their coaches, and their teammates begins to falter. Losing begins to become the norm, not the exception. They begin to mentally lose games, even before they play them. Team morale hits an all-time low. However, change is the only constant in life. Things can turn around for the better, when awareness and understanding leads to accountability and a “we are all in this together attitude.”
“The mind is like water, when it is turbulent, it is difficult to see. When it is calm everything becomes clear.” – Prasad Mahes
The following are 5 ways to positively boost morale when experiencing a losing streak:
“It’s in the adversity, that we learn resilience. It’s in the resilience that our character is forged.” -Walter Aguilar . . . SEE MORE OF THE COACHES SITE Join The Coaches Site to access the latest drills, tactics & leadership lessons from hockey's top coaches. Already a member? Login
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Walter Aguilar
Walter Aguilar – is a Certified Professional Coach and COR.E Performance Dynamics Specialist. Using the mind/energy connection to performance, he teaches a unique approach to peak performance. He specializes in teaching mindfulness for hockey using the COR.E Performance Dynamics energy leadership system. This is based on the 7 levels of energy that thoughts create. These affect awareness, confidence, engagement, creativity and intuition. His equation of Performance = Potential – Interference, provides a framework for success in hockey and life.
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