Are you really committed to your field hockey goals?
Are you really committed to your field hockey goals? Or do you just HOPE that maybe, just maybe that one day you might be lucky enough to achieve your goals? “Being committed to reach your goals is not a lottery, it’s a choice!” What exactly are you doing to give yourself the best chance at…
How to be in the 3% of people who achieve their goals
If you have been playing hockey for some time I am sure that you have like many people in sport experienced a similar feeling… you know, when things sometimes seem so unfair and you feel like the whole world is against you because you haven’t been selected, maybe you have been dropped, you got injured…
Train your posterior to kick butt on the hockey field!
Are you doing any form of strength or resistance training that is going to help your hockey? Anyone over the age of 12 years, especially adolescents should be doing some form of resistance training (whether they play sport or not) and there are many benefits to doing this which I have already written about here. Contrary…
7 ways to be mentally tougher
“You cannot become a great hockey player without being mentally tough” What is Mental Toughness? Mental toughness is the psychological edge that allows you to cope better than any of your opponents and to be consistent in your determination, focus, confidence and remaining calm under pressure. It is not being affected by anything else other…
What you can learn from Luis Suarez
Why does Luis Suarez bite people? Recently, Luis Suarez has again publicly bitten someone for the third time during a football match watched by millions. But why does he continue this biting behavior despite knowing that it is wrong? It is something that you could perhaps expect or understand from a child who doesn’t get…
World cup reflections & how injury has helped me
Watching the Rabobank Hockey World Cup was great and I really enjoyed it. I was able to watch lots of the games on Sky Sports during a week spent back in England. This TV hockey-feast has been a real delight, because the sport is rare on British TV channels – something I know because I…
Perfect Practice Makes Perfect
“Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect” – Vince Lombardi Time and time again, throughout any aspect of our lives, our hard work is met with the common saying, “practice makes perfect”. While there is indeed great value to be taken from this advice, there is some critical instruction missing… that that…
Work Hard, Play Hard – Balancing hockey and studies
I am often approached by the concerned parents of young athletes who have become worried that their child’s involvement in hockey will distract them from other aspects of their life, particularly their studies. But rest assured – a healthy investment in sport is actually conducive to studying, and can be hugely beneficial to overall mental…
Thirsty for Success?
If you watch any top-level hockey side during training or competition, not too far behind them will be one thing – their water bottles. Why? Because staying hydrated is a critical factor in ensuring that your body can perform to its best. As I have progressed as an athlete and become familiar with the increasingly…
Know Yourself to Grow Yourself
Becoming a master in any art-form cannot be achieved through reliance upon natural ability alone – it requires time, determination and importantly, mental strength. As you develop as a hockey player, finding yourself in competition with an increasing number of other talented athletes, success becomes more and more a case of ‘mind over matter’. Whilst…
