No matter what level of hockey you play, MENTAL TOUGHNESS is the most VALUED quality. Mental toughness (MT) is the ability to consistently sustain your ideal performance state while facing ADVERSITY in competition – It is the ability to perform to your potential under pressure. Coaches like mentally tough players because they STAY TRUE to themselves – they play THEIR game no matter what. Mentally Tough players are usually more disciplined and versatile – they adapt more easily to varied game plans.

Improving Mental Toughness
Mental Toughness is a very broad concept. Wetter I am consulting with Olympic medallists, World Champions, professional players or weekend warrior, I always follow the same THREE STEPS.

Step one: Simplify Mental Toughness 
It is very difficult to improve Mental Toughness as a whole. It is important to understand that Mental Toughness is the SUM of eight different components or mental skills:

1. Self-Confidence

2. Self-Motivation

3. Accentuating Positive Energy 

4. Controlling Negative Energy

5. Ability to Focus and Concentration 

6. Attitude Control / A warrior’s attitude

7. Visualizing (Using your ability to create mental images to learn faster and better)

8. Self-Discipline

In other words, mentally rough players score high on all of these eight mental skills. The process becomes a lot simpler once players understand that they can actually improve some of the mental skills that contribute to MT, one at a time.

Step two: Identify areas of strengths and weaknesses.
I assess a players level on each of the eight mental skills or components of MT. 

Step Three: Plan to improve
Then we build a plan to progressively improve a player's delivery of the eight components of MT beginning with the greatest weaknesses.

What follow is a simplified version of the three steps I have just explained: 1. You will find a brief description as well of a simple self-evaluation of each of the eight components of MT. To complete, the self-evaluation, read the definition then choose one of the four answers proposed. 

2. Then, you will be instructed on how to add up your score to identify your strengths and weaknesses. 

3. You will find some suggestions on how to improve eight components of MT.

Step one: Evaluate yourself!

Component 1. Self-Confidence
It is a profound and calming belief in yourself. It is the profound knowledge that you will find the answers to overcome all the obstacles and challenges that will come your way. A self-confident player is not afraid of making mistakes and plays in the moment.

Evaluating your level of Self-Confidence: 
1.1) In training and practices, I know that I will find the answers to overcome challenges and I perform with a clear mind, without major fear or making mistakes...

a) Never 

b) Rarely  

c) Sometimes 

d) Always

1.2) In games, I know that I will find the answers to overcome challenges and I perform with a clear mind, without major fear or making mistakes...

a) Never 

b) Rarely  

c) Sometimes 

d) Always

Component 2. Self-Motivation
It is the ability to push your self from within. Self-motivated players clearly know what they want and do the work require getting it. Being highly self-motivated will help you endure the pain, discomfort and self-sacrifice required to elevate your game.

Evaluating your level of Self-motivation: 
My push and my drive to work hard and surpass myself in training, practices and games comes from...

a) Always others  

b) Sometimes others 

c) Mostly myself 

d) Always myself

Component 3. Accentuating Positive Energy
It is the ability to become energized yourself with joy, determination and team spirit. Players who have the ability to accentuate these positive elements of being a high-level player are always ready to perform and face challenges. They usually attack problematic situations that arise within the team head-on and invest their effort in finding solutions.

Evaluating your ability to accentuate Positive Energy:
When I train, practice and play, I CHOOSE to fill my mind with emotions that are...

a) Very Negative  

b) Mostly Negative 

c) Mostly Positive 

d) Always Positive

Component 4. Controlling Negative Energy
It is the ability to face and MANAGE the INEVITABLE negative emotions associated with high-level competition like fear, anger, and frustration. Players who are not able to control negative energy are often inconsistent in their levels of performance.

Evaluating your my ability to control Negative Energy: 
When I train, practice and play, I fall into a negative state of mind (i.e. in a funk...)

a) Never 

b) Rarely  

c) Sometimes 

d) Always

Component 5. Ability to Concentrate and Focus
It is the ability to tune-in what is important and tune-out what is not important. To focus your energy in what REALLY matters. Highly focused players usually own and deliver the game plan.

Evaluating your Ability to Concentrate and Focus: 
5.1) When I train and practice, I can describe my focus as ...

a) "All over the place"  

b) Weak  

c) Strong   

d) "Intense as A laser beam"

5.2) When I play games, I can describe my focus as...

a) "All over the place"  

b) Weak  

c) Strong   

d) "Intense as A laser beam"

Component 6. Attitude Control
It is HOW you CHOOSE to react to the demands and challenges that you’ve CHOSEN to face when you chose to be a hockey player. The right attitude leads to a better flow of energy. Players who can control their attitude are usually liked and respected by their teammates. They are often chosen as leaders. They often stand-up and take charge of the team in difficult situations. 

Evaluating your ability to control your attitude: 
When I train, practice and play, my attitude is ...

a) Very Negative  

b) Mostly Negative 

c) Mostly Positive 

d) Always Positive

Component 7: Self-Discipline
It is the mental self-control required to perform. It is a display of mental strength over impulses. It is the commitment to behaviors that favor the team. Self-disciplined players win the mental battles during a game. They rarely take retaliation penalties.

Evaluating your level of self-discipline: 
My ability to control my emotions and act in a way that will favor my team is a ...

a) A major weakness 

b) A weakness 

c) A strength 

d) A major strength

Component 8: Visualizing – Creating mental images to learn faster and better.
Visualization is the process of creating clear and complete pictures of what you want to achieve. When you visualize, you conceptualize skills, techniques, plays and optimal behaviors. Visualizing helps you understand and learn all aspects of hockey better and faster.

Evaluating your ability to visualize: 
8.1) When I visualize, the mental images I create in my mind are...

a) Non-existent (as in "Image? What Image?") 

b) Fuzzy 

c) Clear 

d) Like reality itself

8.2 When the coach explains a new drill or play, I take the time to visualize it in my mind

a) Never 

b) Rarely  

c) Sometimes 

d) Always

Step 2: Score yourself – identify your

Strengths and weaknesses
For each component, score yourself as follow: 

For every time you've chosen the answer "a" give yourself 1 point

For every time you've chosen the answer "b" give yourself 2 points

For every time you've chosen the answer "c" give yourself 3 points

For every time you've chosen the answer "d" give yourself 4 points

Obviously, the higher your overall score, the higher your level of mental toughness - or you ability to perform to your potential under pressure. What is more important is your score on EACH of the eight component: You should score at least a "3" on each component. If not, begin working on improving yourself.

Steps 3: Plan to improve

Some Suggestions on how to improve the eight components to mental toughness

To improve self confidence: 

·         -Work harder: Your level of self-confidence will improve when you KNOW you’ve worked hard to improve yourself.

·         -Set realistic AND informed goals for your life, your career, your season, each practice, each game... 

·         -Keep an “ACCOMPLISHMENT” diary in which you will keep track of your personal victories.

·        -Keep a “DETERMINATION” diary in which you will turn your defeat into victories by REFLECTING and learning from your      mistakes and failures.

·         -Seek clarity of your roles and responsibilities within the team

·         -Seek clarity from your coaches on what you should improve on

To improve your level of self-motivation 
The way to raise your level of self-motivation is to find a true and strong purpose in your quest to become the best player you can be. To achieve this, you’ve got to take a realistic look at what you want and what you will get out of becoming a world-class player.

·   - Set meaningful and motivating long-term goals that reflect your desires – Ask and answer the question: What’s in it for me?

·         -Commit to your goals in a training log and keep a daily record of your accomplishments

·         -Associate with self-motivated players

·         -Consciously elevate your threshold to pain and effort – progressively push yourself beyond your limits

·         -Read books and watch movies about great people and great players

To improve your ability to accentuate positive energy:
This mental skill comes from a CONSCIOUS decision to become energized with joy, determination and team spirit. You can improve in this department by: 

·          -Ask yourself: Am I having fun? If not, you might be playing the wrong game...

·         -Make an effort to see the good side of things and associate with players who do the same

·         -Learn to enjoy BEING challenged – it’s the only way to improve...

·          -Be patient... we all need time to learn and improve, Yet, make sure you focus your work.

·          -Always remind yourself that you CHOSE to be a player... might as well have fun with it!

·          -Make sure you’re in great shape – If your body is tired, your mind will be tired and more negative...

To improve your ability to Control Negative Energy: 

·          -Slow down - don’t catastrophize. Look at the big picture (review your career plan).

·          -Learn relaxation techniques - learn to breathe.

·          -Ask yourself what you can learn about yourself while you are learning to become a better player

·          -Get use to the pressure – Stimulate competitive situations as often as possible.

·          -Make sure you’re in great shape – If your body is tired, your mind will be tired and more negative...

To improve your ability to Focus and Concentrate: 

·          -Become aware of what you pay attention to when you train, practice and play.

·         -Enhance your ability to Focus in the “right here-right now” exercise for example: 

·         -Again, make sure you have a clear idea of where you are going – Set goals for your career, season, each game, and each shift.

·        -Improve your relaxation, calming and quieting skills – We all need to get rid of the @#$&” in our mind once in awhile…

·          -Make sure you’re in great shape – If your body is tired, your mind will be tired and less focused...

To improve your ability to control your Attitude:
Become aware when you display positive and negative attitudes in training, practices and games. Recognize the patterns and identify the triggers to your negativity. Once these triggers are identified and rationalized, they are usually easily removed.

·         -Positive affirmations and statements reinforces positive attitude.

·         -Attitude is a matter of critical mass, therefore associate with players who have a positive attitude. 

·        -Negative attitude will drain energy from players and team. In extreme cases, players with consistently negative attitude should be eliminated from the team.

·        -Remind yourself you CHOSE to become a hockey player. Make sure you know what it implies and realize the price YOU are ready to pay to achieve your goals.

·          -Dream BIG and OFTEN!

·          -Make sure you’re in great shape – If your body is tired, your mind will be tired and more negative...

To improve your level of self-discipline:

·          -When you enter the locker room, Step out of yourself and into the team...

·          -Commit to owning and delivering your team's game plan

·        -Respect officials, even those who make bad decisions – it’s a long-term battle. If you overcome your impulse to insult official, they will favor you in the long run…

·        -Make every game a play-off game. Observe the decision-making process of players during the NHL playoffs – they almost always make the right decision to favor the team.

·          -Always keep the bigger picture in mind. Ask yourself as often as possible what really matters?

·         -Defeat is always the greatest pain, but it is also a great teacher. Take time to reflect and learn from your defeats.

To improve your ability to Visualize – Using your ability to create mental images to learn faster and better.

·         -Visualization is a skill that you can acquire and develop - visualize, visualize, visualize!

·          -Visualize in “real-time” – try to make images as complete as possible.

·        -Visualize models – Imitate videos of great players for example. Watches a game on TV and during commercial visualize yourself performing as the "pros" do.

·         -During practices, take a few seconds to Visualize the drills and plays explained by your coach.

·         -When you are given a game plan, take the time to visualize each of the components. On the way to the game for example, visualize yourself delivering the prescribed team "fore-check" or transition game.

·         -Visualize to refocus during games. If you are a power-forward for example, use a few second in between each shift to see yourself going in the corner, making a hit that gives you control of the puck, then see yourself making a pass to your center in front of the goal.