Tappara goalies get mental training

Learning about stress management and concentration skills has led young goalies in Finland to their peak performance. In the spring 2008 Tappara goalie coaches Hannu Majava and Arttu Lipsanen decided to add mental coaching to their goalie coaching program. They saw how talented their 1994 born goalies were, and thus wanted to enhance their competitive power through a program that focused on thought shifting, stress management and concentration skills.

Majava and Lipsanen started cooperation with Omvera’s Mental Coach Minna Marsh and agreed to support their goalies to use the newly found mental knowledge along the way. During six training sessions goalies were introduced to the equation of brain, thinking and emotions. They also learned about correct breathing, scientific imagery as well as how to develop willpower.

In addition, one of the major focus points was self-esteem and increased awareness of one’s weaknesses and strengths. The coaches present in training sessions as well as FIHA’s Head Instructor of Goaltending Petri Tuononen showed the young goalies with their own example how it is not dangerous at all to talk about a weakness or to goof up: true strength comes from being at rest in who you are and from focusing on the present moment.

Majava says mental training has already paid off.

“Our goalies have become more focused and stronger in the games we have played. They were talented and hard-working already, but mental training has brought their performance to a whole new level.”

Thinking Right

Tappara goalies Alex Kolkkinen, Nestori Kauhanen, Miikka Majava and Timo Lumiaho are working towards their goals through focused hard training and continuous mental fine tuning. Some goals were already accomplished in Finland in fall 2008, which has only strengthened their motivation.

According to Majava, goalie’s work is, after all, mental. In addition to athletic skills, intelligence, mathematical skills and high work ethic, a great goalie has a passion for the sport and excellent concentration skills. A talented goalie can enhance his performance through right kind of thinking and heightened mental awareness.

Majava emphasizes the importance of mental work, not only for the goalie, but also for the coach.
 “A good goalie coach makes it his business to really know his goalies. It takes not only time and physical training, but also mental work from the coach to get all the potential out of the goalie. Coaching requires good interactional skills and constant situational analysis, also outside the games.”