getting "pumped up" before a game

[badourscp1]

what do u do before a game to get "in the zone" or whatever u want to call it

[Edwardgoalie31]

I listen to music on my way to the game that really pumps me up and gets me into the zone.

[kevin0807]

same, i listen to music. or sometimes, i look out the window and think about the game for a while. or when im rly confident, i sleep.

[badourscp1]

whats a good song to get u in the zone?? i always listen to Down With The Sickness by Disturbed

[dannyho1]

RELAX.
It may only work for me.
I like to focus on breathing.
In on a 4 count, out on an 8 count.
It helps me leave the outside world (work, home, ect... ), Outside the hockey world.

[harri1]

We have asked a similar question, about pre-game routines, in our pre-camp package that gets sent to all of our Top Prospects and Midget "AAA" Prep Camp students and have had very basic and vague responses, in the past. I think it would be interesting to have a little more detail in this discussion such as:

Do you have a very structured routine or do you try to avoid thinking about the game before hand? (Formal vs. informal)

What kind of self-talk, if any, works well for each of you? (some specific phrases may help)

What do you do to physically and mentally get yourself ready? (The two are always linked)

Do you use imagery? (Again heavily structured or less structured? Specific images?)

Do you need to get pumped up or bring yourself down? How do you do this?

Do you incorporate vision warmups with your physical warmups?

Can you tell us some of your eating and sleeping patterns before practices/games?

If you listen to music, how does it help you? (Are there specific songs, themes, genres, etc.)

How do you get the mind and body to perform even if you feel crappy?

How do you make sure you block out distractions?

Does video help you?

Basically, this discussion would be much more meaningful if we saw what works for some or what may not work for others. This discussion can be very good if we realize that other goalies will not use this information against us if we make this information public. I just think more specificity in questions and responses is the way to go to make this truly a beneficial read.

[Edwardgoalie31]

Well a few songs that get me pumped are Room 409 or Hand of Blood by Bullet For My Valentine, and also Thunderstruck by ACDC.

[dlt85]

i watch henrik lundqvist vids on youtube to get motivated, even if 1% rubs off on me it helps

[Hockey3081]

Watching this helps a little..

[gabor808]

Originally Posted by Hockey3081

Watching this helps a little..

This is exactly what I do to get myself pumped up before a game. Watch some video highlights on youtube. It really does helps me get motivated.

[The Wall33]

For 'serious' games I have a 3 part process:

Pre-travel to arena: I have a quick power snooze (30 min's max) and visualize making solid saves. I try to read a goalie specific journal or magazine to pick out one key point I will focus on that night.

In the car to arena: I have a cd I made that has a comiliation of my favourite songs. Most of them are high powered rock tunes but a couple are more mellow and for whatever reason this gets me in the zone and helps block out negative thoughts.

At the arena: I have downloaded a number of videos into my ipod (similar to the ones above) including a personal highlight video of saves that gives me good positive imagery. I like to isolate from the team and listen to my tunes and watch whatever is happening on the ice prior to our game. I find 2 or 3 good songs, listen to them a few times while using mental imagery to set positive vibes.

My best preparation leaves me with one really solid tune running through my head to the exclusion of all other thoughts. When the game is on I have this tune and my ABC's (power thoughts) and that's it, everything else is blocked out entirely.

As Harri noted, there are many ways to get yourself to a 'peak state' prior to a game. For most goalies I train, it comes down to music and taking some time to themselves. Having said that, everyone is different so there really is no set answer that covers all goalies all the time. It is trial by fire and experimentation. When you have a great game take note of what you did (or did not do) and repeat it to see if that works for you. If it does yopu may have discovered the best routine for you so don't change it unless it stops working...

Wellsie

[darien.30]

yo keegan girard

[LuckOfTheGoalie]

i knoe one thing not to do, watch this before a game...

YouTube - A terrible mistake by a hockey goalie

but for real though i do what most have said:

listen to good music and/or watch other goalies play either videos or earlier games

[Goalieman33]

everyone does this at least 1 time a season but i do it everytime.... my pre-game is jerkin it. Totaly works. Try it.

[dannyho1]

I dont have to (jerk it), my wife is 31years old, and I'm 43. I never thought I would be the one pretending to be asleep sometimes (or the preverbial "I have a headache").

Oh, did I say that out loud. Sorry.