April 5, 2022 3:53 pm
Published by Russ Sinkewich
Often, you’ll hear the phrase “be a student of the game”, but does your athlete truly understand the meaning of this. The impact of living this this idea to its fullest can be profound! No different than our effort and application in the classroom at school the same needs to be done around the sport.
- “Listen” don’t “hear”
- Take the coaching and apply it! Listen and embody the lessons being taught, don’t just hear the coach and settle back to your ways. Coachablity is KEY!
- “Watch + learn” don’t “space out”
- Be totally engaged in the process of learning. When a drill is being done by others watch it like a hawk. The amount of growth that can be done simply by watching and learning from others positives and negatives is a difference maker in your development.
- What are you doing when no one is watching?
- The commitment to your craft cannot be a part time thing. If you have sincere goals about achieving great things in the sport then your commitment off the ice needs to be as sincere as those goals. Shooting-stick handling at home daily, a healthy diet, working on your athleticism, constant self-reflection; not only on your goals but with your mindset and mental approach to your growth.
There is NO better than moment than right now to develop your off-season plan and lay the foundation to become an “A” student of the game!
March 29, 2022 3:43 pm
Published by Russ Sinkewich
When it comes to skating development, we get one recurring themed question above the rest. “Can you help my child get faster?” That answer is always YES! Here’s an awesome at home off-season training exercises to build that speed!
Making your speed and lower body strength training a priority is a must this off-season! Even something as simple as a quick 5-10 minute series of quick feet and jumping exercises will make a world of difference!
February 14, 2022 7:06 pm
Published by Russ Sinkewich
We’re down to the wire! Whether your team is in position to take home a championship or you’re seeing the season end in sight – There’s no better time than this moment to finish the season off the right way!
Prioritize what matters most right now:
- Your contributions to your team
- Focus on your controllables and give nothing short of your best every time you have an opportunity to contribute.
- Your mindset
- Shift at a time mentality. Every rep, every shift, every practice, every game – you’re ascending to the best version of yourself!
- Your perspective
- Take a step back [metaphorically] and don’t lose sight how much fun you’re having. The laughs with teammates, pressure situations in games, depleted feeling you get when you know you gave it your 100% – These experiences are a gift, cherish them!
Block out the noise:
- Upcoming Tryouts
- They don’t matter right now. Fun fact; the better you perform today will provide more for you tomorrow!
- Spring Sports
- They’re not going anywhere.
- Lingering frustrations
- Lows and challenges are what make the successes that much sweeter. Some of the most successful athletes will tell you – “you’ve got to have short memory.” It takes a lot more energy out of your battery to hold on to something versus letting it go and moving forward!
Leave everything you have on the ice – skate with no regrets down these final few weeks!!!
January 13, 2022 3:57 pm
Published by Russ Sinkewich
As the second half of the season heats up. The uptick in the stress and anxiety is likely to follow. Here’s some helpful tips to help combat these challenges and create a different mental approach to tackling them head on!
Awareness
Become aware of the thoughts that are present in your mind. Identify the good-bad, positive-negative, happy-sad.
Intentional Breathing
2 Minute Drill // Hyper focused on your breathing. Mouth closed and following the breath in through your nose, deep into the belly and out through the nose. Repeat this steadily for 2 straight minutes. Extra credit, mix in some visualization of your goals you’re working to accomplish.
Dictate your positive mindset
Begin choosing positive thoughts that will soon change the way you feel about yourself and the upcoming game and adversities ahead.
Commit to these simple steps and you will go from feeling bogged down with stress and anxiety, to feeling more relaxed and clearer minded as you work to become the best version of yourself!
For more information on this and many other powerful mental tools to help give you the mental edge, please connect with coach Jacob via email, jacob@ohiohockeyproject.com or cell phone, 951-491-4666
November 15, 2021 6:47 pm
Published by Joe Young
We all know that the season can be long and tiring and that it can be easy to lose focus at certain times. But, there are plenty of ways we can keep ourselves focused on our goals whenever we start to lose focus or get tired of the same drills or routines over and over again. Here are a few tips to keep us engaged with our goals throughout the season:
- Bump Up the Competition
- Games don’t have to be the only competition we have all year; take advantage of practice! Challenge your teammates to a friendly bet, and watch how much more fun you have during practice!
- Mix up your routine
- Instead of sitting in the same spot in the locker room, sit next to someone new. Try a different routine instead of doing the same warm-up routine you’ve done for every game. If you want to make practice more fun, ask a coach to go against you during a drill! Doing different things is always entertaining.
- Create In-Season Check-In’s
- Every so often, check in with yourself and your goals! If you feel you are moving towards your goals, try establishing an even loftier goal. If you feel you are getting bored of your goal, try to revise it into something that will keep you interested! Be sure to check in with yourself.
It’s normal to lose interest in a season every once in a while, and that’s okay! As long as we have a plan and make an effort to refocus our minds, then all will be fine.
November 2, 2021 3:50 pm
Published by Joe Young
One of the most difficult aspects of sports is maintaining a positive, healthy attitude when times are tough. It is easy to let a negative thought snowball into a bad attitude and let it impact your game. Here are a few tips to keeping a healthy mindset:
- Practice a Solution-Focused Mindset
- Rather than focusing on what you did wrong, focus on what you could do, and will do right the next opportunity!
- 30 Second Rule
- Allow yourself to be angry/upset for no more than 30 seconds. Once 30 seconds is up, let the thought float away and move on. We love the phrase “short memory”.
- Positive Self Talk
- Talk to yourself in a positive tone. Whatever you would say to a teammate in your situation, say it to yourself!
Mistakes are a huge part of the game. Focus on your controllable SKILLS: Attitude, effort, mindset!
October 15, 2021 2:27 pm
Published by Russ Sinkewich
The start of a new season provides athletes and their families a great opportunity to make it a year to remember! Here’s a few tips for parents to make sure they stay their athlete’s #1 Fan!
- Emphasize Learning
- Do all that you can to learn with them; reading books about hockey, watching educational videos on YouTube, watching NHL games with your athlete. If you put the effort in, your athlete will too! Remember and embrace the educational process of the sport!
- Patience + Perspective
- Be there with them, and be patient with them! Highs and lows are a necessary prerequisite for success – in anything! It’s how we grow. Remember the bigger picture. Team sports is an accelerator of a child’s life skills that help shape who they become tomorrow! Hockey is game, and we as parents can go above and beyond to make it fun and a positive life changing experience.
- Be active – Be present
- Research has proven time and time again that parents who are actively involved with their young athlete’s team and career will lead to a better relationship with their child, improved performance for their child, and overall personal fulfillment. Help score keep, organize a team dinner/party, bring some extra team spirit for the families to rally behind the team at games.
- Be a parent and not a coach
- Remember your child gets an earful every time they walk into a rink. They don’t always need an earful in the car or at the dinner table too. Sure, give them the extra kick in the butt when they need it, but more times than not, they need a break and they need your love, positivity and wonderful parental support!
Take these tips into this season and it will be the best hockey season yet!
October 1, 2021 10:00 am
Published by Joe Young
Success can be one of the greatest magic tricks in the book. Sometimes nobody ever sees it coming or where it’s coming from, but it keeps on happening. When you see someone succeed their joy and happiness are contagious. What you don’t see in someone’s moment of success is everything that happens behind the scenes.
All successful people in this world have one thing in common: they prepare to succeed. There are multiple ways to help you prepare to succeed. Here are a few tips to help you to prepare to succeed:
- Visualize
- With a clear vision insight, you can stay focused on what you need to take care of while you prepare
- Positive Self Talk
- If you truly believe it, you will naturally do everything in your power to succeed. Remember, success is a mindset!
- Stay focused
- Keeping your eyes on the prize will lock you into what you are preparing for. Ask yourself the question, “how will this prepare me to succeed?” Let that be your guide.
Now, let’s go out there and prepare to succeed!
September 1, 2021 1:00 pm
Published by Joe Young
With the summer officially coming to an end, school starting back up, and a new season on the horizon we are all transitioning into something fresh. Starting something fresh can be exciting, full of possibilities, and provide endless opportunities that could lead to other new things. But starting something fresh can also bring worry, questions, and uncertainty. Here are a few tips to make the best of this fresh start:
- Set Goals
- We have mentioned this before: you can’t measure your progress without setting a goal! By setting a goal we are saying to ourselves, “I can improve upon where I am now,” and you are committing to bettering yourself. Make sure to set smart, measurable, attainable, reasonable, and timely goals!
- Create a routine
- When kicking off a new season, a new school year, or a new sport many things are new or fresh. By creating a routine and sticking with that routine your body and brain will naturally familiarize themselves with the new activity or surroundings in your life. Make sure you have a solid, and consistent routine to put your mind in a good place!
- Try new things and aim to grow
- A new beginning is an opportunity to grow. We as humans best grow when we are uncomfortable. We are often uncomfortable when we are trying new things, or putting ourselves in new situations. Go out there and be uncomfortable. If you try something you don’t like, great, you learned about something new that you don’t like! If you try something you like, great, you’ve found something new! Get out there and try new things. Remember to never stop growing!
Hopefully, we are all adjusting to a new season of life seamlessly. If you ever feel yourself struggling to get back into things, you are not alone! Just make sure you take a step back, think of a goal, establish a routine, and try new things. You’ll be ready to go in no time!
April 15, 2021 6:51 pm
Published by Joe Young
Maintaining motivation to strive towards success can be difficult. After a long, hard season full of work it can be easy to let your mind wander off the path of success. Here are a few tips to help you stay motivated:
- Write down your goals, place the list of goals somewhere you will see them every day. Every time you see your list of goals you will be reminded of what you are working towards that day. Writing your goals on a sticky note and placing them on the bathroom mirror is a great option!
- Write down motivational quotes, place them throughout your house. Similar to seeing your list of goals written down, finding quotes that keep your mind on track is a massive help when it comes to motivation. Again, I would suggest using sticky notes for these as well!
- Reassess your progress frequently. Sometimes if we have a big, overarching goal it can be difficult to lose track of the true progress we are making. If we focus on the little things as we are moving forward, suddenly the big, audacious goals become more attainable. Make sure your checking in on yourself!
There are plenty of ways to stay motivated, these are just some simple tips to make sure we are taking care of business. Remember, always strive towards moving forward!