"Systems of Thought"- Installment 1

With the exciting news of JPL partnering with Grand Forks Youth Hockey for in-season goalie training, I’m also including a series of monthly blog posts entitled “Systems of Thought.” They are to be a continuation of the video portion of camp with extended explanations of the psychological “systems” I teach during lecture. These posts will aid in the ups and downs of the season and how to best prepare yourself for the success’s and failures of the game.  If there are areas of the game that you would like me to discuss please email or leave a comment. 

Growth Mindset

“Change you mindset, change your life.” James Clear

I will begin my first installment of “Systems of Thought” talking about what I begin each of my summer goalie camps with… and that is Growth Mindset.  You’ve likely heard this topic, as Growth Mindset has come to be quite the buzzword in recent years, but having a Growth Mindset means that you believe you are in control of your own destiny. You believe that skills are acquired through hard work and practice. You are not deterred from constructive criticism from coaches, but relish the feedback.  Growth Mindset is the cornerstone for everything we do. Without it we cannot grow and improve. Growth Mindsetters exhibit more open mindedness when trying new things and are able to experiment outside of their comfort zone. 

On the opposite end of the spectrum is Fixed Mindset. People who exhibit a Fixed Mindset believe that talent alone determines wether they succeed or fail. They see practice as pointless and putting in extra effort as a waste of time. Fixed Mindsetters tend to make excuses when receiving feedback from coaches and deflect responsibility. They lack the  “grit” and “perseverance” required when struggling learning a new skill. There is an old saying, “whether you believe you can, or you can’t, you’re right.” 

With a clear definition of Growth Mindset, you’ll want to take that into your new season and apply it to your role on the team. Each new year is an opportunity to start a new path. A productive method I use is looking at the good and bad from the previous year and thinking about my strengths and weaknesses. Start by writing down three areas of the game you excelled at and three areas that you struggled. With these points in mind, put together a practice plan where you can work on the areas you have identified. Through repetition and focused practice, you’ll gain confidence. Game by game; the new habits you instilled in practice become muscle memory. By starting with a Growth Mindset, you believe that effort and practice will pay off, and it’s with this belief that when you go through a period of struggle you won’t dwell on the failure but get back to work.

When defining Fixed Mindset, I brought up two important virtues. Grit and Perseverance. These two virtues are a pre requisite to Mastery and Excellence. I guarantee that you’ll experience some form of struggle this up coming season. The best goaltenders relish in the opportunity to show Grit and Perseverance when they go through periods of self doubt. They grit through struggle with a positive attitude and physical work; and persevere through the noise of complaining and excuses that surround tough times. Handling adversity the right way ultimately puts you in a position of leadership wether you wear the “C” or not. At camp I give our goalies “Three Virtues of Leadership” that we can always control. They are:

1. Preparation

2. Body Language

3. Compete Level

If you can consistently follow through with these three virtues regardless of the outcome of the game, you will continue to develop and more importantly sleep well at night knowing that you did your best at controlling what you could. 

This season, if you catch yourself slacking off remember that you need to believe that you can get better. Nobody is going to believe for you. Reflect on the previous season, write down your three strengths and weakness and build a plan around those. Going through that plan you will experience struggle and when that happens remember “Grit” and “Perseverance” through self doubt. When you get to game day and the pressure is on and the big moments come you are in a position of leadership. Remember our “Three Leadership Virtues” 1. Preparation 2. Body Language 3. Compete Level. With these points in mind you are ready to attack this new year with confidence and assertiveness. Get ready to reach levels you didn’t know you had.

This Months Book Recommendation; Mindset - By Carol Dweck

-JP-