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Written by: Connor Bizal After having a conversation about visualization on our latest podcast episode with Connor Galloway, I got to thinking about how it has changed my life and how important it is in the game of hockey. Sure, everyone sometimes daydreams about scoring that OT game-winner or putting up a hat trick in a big game. But how often do those things happen? Visualization, when I was younger, simply consisted of what I just mentioned: scoring goals in OT, getting a hat trick, and things of that sort. Before games, I would think about how I was going to score goals in that game, but I never really thought about or visualized the things that I would need to do first in order to score a goal. We were always told growing up to take those 5-10 minutes before the game to focus and think about the game. Well, how exactly are we supposed to do that? I am not an expert, but here is how I have implemented visualization into my life that has been really impactful...
PRACTICE: Visualization should not be limited to just before games, it should be a part of your daily practices as well! Going into practice with an idea of how you want the practice to go, what things you want to work on specifically, and what type of energy you are going to bring can elevate your game exponentially. During practice, visualizing how you want certain drills to look for you and how you plan on performing during reps has been very helpful for me. After my coach has drawn up a drill, as I am getting into line, I visualize the drill itself (so I make sure I know what I am doing) and how I plan on doing it. This allows you to get the most out of practice, instead of just going through the motions. GAMES: This is where visualization is most common for players. WHAT you visualize before games is crucial, as scoring goals is only a small fraction of the game itself. There are many different ways you can have an advanced pregame visualization, but here is how I do it. I like to have my visualization be as realistic as possible, so when I am out on the ice and find myself in a particular situation, I have already run through it in my head beforehand. I visualize what the rink I am playing in looks like and what the uniforms of both teams look like. From there, I always start with the opening face-off. What is my responsibility if we lose the draw? What if we win? I put myself through all the scenarios I feel like I am most likely to find myself in during the game. Then, I work into the D-Zone (because defense comes before offense, obviously). I usually play Left Wing, so I visualize my responsibilities as the strong-side winger and the weak-side winger. Who is my guy if the other team has the puck? What breakout options do I have if I get the puck on the half-wall? If my D has the puck up at the blue line, what hand shot is he, so I know which path I have to take to be in the shooting lane to block the shot? Same thing, I want to visualize every DZ circumstance I feel I am going to find myself in. Then, I transition into the O-Zone. Visualization regarding the OZ is much more than just scoring goals. Again, I go through which OZ situations I anticipate I will find myself in during the game. Then I end it with powerplay, penalty kill, all face-off situations, 4v4, 3v3, etc. This has become more complex for me this past season, as there are much more systems involved in college hockey. This is all just before the game. In between periods, I will either do the same thing or I will reflect on what I did not like so much about the previous period and visualize myself correcting those mistakes. AWAY FROM THE RINK: Visualization is not only at the rink, either. It can and should happen at home as well! When Gally was talking about visualization on the podcast, he mentioned how, when he was injured and could not play, he would visualize all the time at home to keep getting his mental reps. This is a good way to stay in the game while not being able to physically play. As I referenced earlier, almost every hockey player that loves the game finds themself daydreaming about hockey. This is great! However, it should not be your only form of visualization. I watch the NHL game recaps every night. Each time I see a certain play I like, I pause the video and visualize myself applying that to my games or practices. Same thing when I see a clip on Instagram or Twitter. If I am watching my own film at home, if I see a mistake I made, I make sure to visualize myself making the right play the next time I find myself in that situation. Visualization was foreign to me when I was younger, now it has helped me in ways I cannot fully explain and I wish I would have started doing it earlier in my career. The beauty of it is you can customize your visualization any way you want! It is meant to be a unique activity and it will give you that extra edge on people who do not do it. Give it a try! -Biz
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