Why Top Seeded Teams Lose
Athletic success requires a combination of things including physical prowess, technical skills, and mental skills. No one part contributes to optimal performance more than mental toughness.
Mental toughness is the ability to persist, resist and assist.
Persist – Mental toughness helps you persist despite the pressure of competition, adversity, injury, reduced playing time, missed opportunities, losses and mistakes.
Resist – Mental toughness facilitates not giving into fear, doubts, anxiety, negative thinking and worry.
Assist – Mental toughness assists you to push the limits of your training, learn new technical skills, manage your emotions in a variety of competitive circumstances, prepare fully for competition, and maintain a positive perspective.
Mental toughness also helps you perform well under pressure, improve weaknesses in your game, focus on the things you can control, find new ways to raise your game, rise to athletic challenges, be tenacious and accomplish your goals.
With all these proven benefits of mental toughness, why would any athlete neglect mental toughness training?
Mental toughness was the key to 2019 NHL playoff victory for the Columbus Blue Jackets over the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Lightning were heavily favored to win and were the highest-scoring team in the league by 20 goals this year, 30 more goals than the Blue Jackets scored this season.
In addition, the Lightning tied an NHL record with their 62 regular-season wins compared to the Blue Jackets who won just 47 games.
The Blue Jackets, who were the eighth seed, won the first playoff series in five attempts sweeping the Lightning in four games. The Blue Jackets won Game 1, 4-3, despite being down 3-0 after the first period. The next three games, the Blue Jackets outscored the Lightning 15-5.
Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella was impressed with his team’s effort but, more importantly, he was impressed with his team’s mental toughness.
TORTORELLA: “I’m happy for [our players] because they played as a team, and they had a tremendous amount of will. That’s mental. That’s not a talent, that’s not physical skills, that’s mental toughness. And that’s what I’m thrilled about.”
The reality is that skill and talent don’t always win… Sometimes, the team with more mental toughness comes out on top.
Mental Toughness gives you the extra push and that decisive edge to play hard no matter who you are playing, no matter where you are playing and no matter when you are playing.
Mentally tough athletes view games as challenges and opportunities to bring your game to the next level.
Improve Your Mental Toughness:
Mental toughness is both a mindset and habit. Mental toughness is grown by challenging yourself instead of backing down.
Consider these challenges as mental tests. In school, to do well on a test, you need to study beforehand and free your mind from distractions when taking the test.
To pass these mental tests in hockey, you need to prepare (practice hard, scout your opponent and be mentally prepared for the opening face off) and focus on your strengths and plan for the game.
Start by reminding yourself of your strengths and talents. Fuel your confidence before each game. And no matter if you make mistakes or are down in the game, tell yourself that you’re the same player with mad skills.
Related Articles on Hockey Mental Game:
- Improving Your Mental Toughness in Hockey
- Zach Werenski’s Mental Toughness Plan
- How To Develop Stanley Cup-Level Mental Toughness
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