GAME-DAY "P-R-E-P"

"P-R-E-P"  EQUATES TO:  PURPOSEFUL RITUALS EXECUTED PLAYDAY!


By Paul Lubanski


In today's blog post, PAUL LUBANSKI examines the often-overlooked yet critically important notion of what it means to PREPARE effectively for any sporting contest...from BOTH the physical and psychological perspectives points-of-view.

THIS IS A MUST READ FOR PARENTS, PLAYERS AND ESPECIALLY COACHES!

The vast majority of youth players, coaches and parents consider a hockey game actually beginning with the drop of a puck immediately pursuant to the start of Period 1.

While true in a literal sense, it is far from accurate as it relates to "preparing" intelligently to go-to-battle at the highest physical and psychological readiness for that contest.

Hence, today, I offer you a quite handy acronym that will hopefully both make the point I reference above while providing a step-by-step roadmap for consistently hitting the surface firing on ALL cylinders.

I call it P-R-E-P--which stands for:



PURPOSEFUL -- RITUALS -- EXECUTED -- PLAYDAY

Ok--now, let's take a few moments to dissect  "P-R-E-P" and explain precisely how it can and will lead to a recognizably superior overall demeanor and ultimately--more effective game performance.

Before I begin, I stress that you must first accept the premise that contains the purpose for today's lesson--that being, that the actual game begins several hours before the puck is dropped.

You see, internalizing the notion that purposeful rituals executed on "playday" are critically important as it relates to the level of play you will eventually be able to offer your coach and teammates.

Ok now, let's get a bit more specific...

First off--post awakening, simply spending some time "thinking" about your opponent and the respective "style" of play they will bring to the table is a good idea. In other words, what will I need to do to counter their strengths and exploit potentially  their weakness's?

Then, insuring that you consume the proper type of foods--those that store and "release" energy is massively important. This includes drinking fluids--preferably good water--throughout the day and in the dressing room before hitting the ice/floor.

It is also very, very important to perform effective warm-up/loosening-muscles-type exercises before putting on your game-play equipment/skates. Results of study after study have shown and proven players/teams that loosen-up properly are able to consistently compete at peak-levels far earlier in contests than those that do not...and undeniably games can be won or lost early on.

Finally, our Native American Indian friends bring to-the-table a fantastic concept that will definitively lead to not just better play early-on, but throughout any game as well. What am I referring to? VISUALIZATION! The Native Americans utilized the somewhat "spiritual" technique of "seeing" a positive outcome in their minds-eye before an event as a powerful coping mechanism throughout the struggles they endured to survive. Their written history is replete with true-to-life stories of just how effective the technique was and likely continues to be for and within their rich culture.

And yes--for you, actually taking the time to "see" the game play out successfully in your minds-eye before it begins can and will work! There have been actual studies proving that the utilizing the concept of visualizing a preferred outcome can and WILL lead to far improved odds of that outcome actually materializing.

In closing, I hope and trust that I have motivated each and every one of you to organize and carry out your own personal game-day P-R-E-P. Remember this: oftentimes it is purposeful and effective execution of positive rituals on "playday" that separates a win from a loss...what side to you want to end up on?

Best of luck.





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