Jan 232018
 

In my opinion, RPR works and it isn’t going anywhere.  To me, it makes too much sense to do it especially when the results are so obvious to the athlete and the coach.  I wrote about it previously here.

I think hockey parents in general should sometimes take a deep breath and relax (myself included).  The reality is that there is a good chance that your son or daughter won’t play professional hockey.  So, enjoy the ride and encourage them to have fun and improve every day.   I try to read this before every season- My simple rules for hockey parents everywhere.

Sports technology is moving fast.  The key is to figure out what works for your situation.  How can you best apply technology to what you are already doing?  I am all for new advancements as long as it helps the athletes and team.  I still think the coach’s eye and ability to communicate appropriately is more important.  Know what you are doing and what you want to get out of your tools.

Does anyone else get confused with PRI?

Cold showers in the morning are awesome.  Read about Wim Hoff and his methods.

All of the breathing information is pretty neat. Whether it is for parasympathetic shift, creating stability, or “stretching”, the act of breathing is something that’s been taken for granted for a long time.

 

Jan 192018
 

Over the past year, I’ve read some really good books.  An author of books that I really enjoyed is Ryan Holiday.  His books include The Obstacle is the Way, Ego is the Enemy, and The Daily Stoic (which I read on a daily basis).

What Ryan writes about in those books is the philosophy of Stoicism.  To me, and what I took away from the books is pretty much trying to embrace living in the moment.  The idea of focusing on what is in front of you and not letting outside influences getting in the way.  Outside influences would include events or stress that have happened in the past, present, or in the future.

In the athletic world, when the word stoic is used to describe a leader or a coach, I think of Coach Bill Belichick’s “Do Your Job” and Coach Nick Saban’s “The Process”.  They are great coaches who emphasize performing the task at hand to the best of your ability with the end result being continuous improvement.

In the Strength and Conditioning world, the overall process can be a grind.  The athletes you work with need to be able to do what is in front of them to the best of their ability.   The focus must be on the repetition at hand.   It can’t be “Damn, I have 3 reps left” or “We have to run shuttles tomorrow”.  I think it’s the job of the Strength and Conditioning Coach to help keep your athletes in the moment.  Correct their technique, encourage their execution of the task they are performing.

This is important at all levels of athletics.  Student athletes in high school and college have way more on their plate.  Going to class, taking exams, studying, etc., are all different demands that each student athlete faces.  Then, adding team dynamics such as practices, games, role on the team, Iis Coach mad at me?”, on top of that creates a situation where the athlete has a tougher time focusing on the task at and.   This is also a reality at the professional level with the exception of being a student.  Except for them it is family, financial, and other responsibilities.

In the professional hockey environment, the better players that I have worked with over the years embrace the process of the season.  Playing 82 games is a grind and each season has its ups and downs in terms of wins and losses including streaks and slumps.  It’s a reason why I think many players are superstitious or have routines that they go through to help them prepare.