Mental Training

I remember as a child hearing stories about Wayne Gretsky, the great hockey player who dominated the NHL in the 1980s and 1990s. I didn’t play hockey, so as a child it was hard to relate. But as I grew older, I started to appreciate what my coaches would say about him and how they would relate it to the sports I played.

Wayne Gretsky stood 5’11 and weighed 170lbs. At every level of hockey he played, he was always by far the smallest player on the ice. When he arrived to the Edmonton Oilers in 1981, not only was he one of the smallest players on the team, he was arguably the worst athlete. Gretsky remarks how he scored BAD on endurance, strength, reflexes and flexibility in relation to his other teammates. One season later, he broke the record for most goals scored in a season with 92. So, how did he do it?

Gretsky had some interesting scenarios lined up for himself to gain the advantages he did. Ironically, it was Gretsky’s lack of size and athleticism (say what?) that gave him an advantage. Gretsky recalls how at every level in his childhood he was always playing with skaters who were older and bigger than him. The only way he could possibly compete was by using his mind and anticipating how the dynamics on the ice were playing out. He knew he couldn’t be physical or faster, so he had to anticipate. And he had to anticipate constantly. This is what gave Gretsky his great advantage.

We spoke in a previous chapter how it can be a disadvantage to have too much talent. Oftentimes young players will rely on their talent alone and either not practice enough or not be developed enough when they get to the next level and be exposed for it. Tom Brady and Larry Bird didn’t have great athleticism but both had great athletic IQ and were tireless in their preparation.

So what looked like a disadvantage in Gretsky’s case turned out to be an advantage. He developed anticipation skills so he wouldn’t get hit on the ice, he started to see where players and the puck were going so he could beat them there, or how he could get the puck to another player. His brain developed a sense that other players didn’t develop because they didn’t have to do it. In a real sense it was a survival mechanism for Gretsky to not get crushed on the ice. But the development of this sixth sense, if you will, allowed him to thrive.

In interviews with other players and Gretsky’s teammates, they all spoke of how he would “create” plays that otherwise wouldn’t happen, and put the puck where a player would not think he could get to but eventually could. Gretsky had the great quote, ”Don’t go where the puck is, go where it is going to be.”

So let’s get into some skills utilizing your mind.

Anticipation

Gretsky was able to process information on the ice and anticipate where skaters and the puck were going. It was like he had a sixth sense. Think about your respective sport, how aware are you of your teammates on the court or field? How aware are you of where the defense is? Start thinking about how you can move less, and be less athletic, and use your mind more, and be more efficient.

Efficiency is when the least amount of movement and energy is required to score and win. This means knowing how to pass, plus knowing how to score. Gretsky, as you hear from many top athletes, had the ability to slow things down, and was better at controlling events as they were going to unfold. How can you be less rushed, and utlize your mind and your teammates better to score more? How can you learn to pass more effectively or set up your teammates? This plays out differently in each sport, but it involves breaking plays down and strategizing with your mind versus with your body.

These are questions you should be challenging yourself with at practice so that you stretch yourself and your mind to see more possibilities on the field.

For example, before a practice, say to yourself, “How can I anticipate a play more on offense? On defense? How can I create a play, with a pass, or an assist that I have not created yet?” You may surprise yourself. You will also become a better player because you are utilizing all of your faculties – Mind and Body.