BayToday Hockey Tip #9 – Act like a Pro

Former OHLer and North Bay native Cassidy Preston runs a local hockey development program, Complete Hockey Training, and will be offering his experience, knowledge and enthusiasm in his "BayToday Hockey Tip." Preston played three years in the OHL for the St. Michael's Majors organization, where he won the OPJHL championship with the Buzzers, the Majors affiliate team, in 2006. Enjoy

To “Act” like a Pro is going to be your first step to becoming a Pro. My rule of thumb is that you can’t become something you don’t believe you already are. However if you are just a 14 yr old playing North Bay minor hockey, that might seem a little crazy. So that is why step one is to “Act” like a Pro.

Once you start to “Act” like a Pro, you start to feel like a Pro. This feeling leads you to start thinking and to keep “Acting” like a Pro. If you are thinking, feeling and acting like a Pro, then at some level you start to believe that you are Pro. It doesn’t matter where you are playing, if your goal is to be a great hockey player, I believe that believing it first is the only way to become one. Do you think Crosby waited till he became one of the best players in the world before he started acting like one?

So what do Pro’s do?

Practice like you play. As a hockey player many of us create bad habits in practice by not practicing at our best. Practice is where you become a better hockey player. What you put in is what you are going to get out. For example Pro’s always pass the puck very hard and almost never miss the tape. Being able to make hard tape to tape passes is such a crucial part of hockey, yet most players practice making soft, careless passes.

Shoot to score. Pro’s shoot every puck as hard as they can and are always trying to score. Why practice a half hearted shot into the goalies pads? I’ve noted that some Pro’s will only look for mesh and practice focusing past the goalie. Also some like to practice focusing on a very specific spot they are shooting for, even as small as just the size of the puck. So instead of just the general top right corner, they will focus on exactly where in the top right corner, ie: right under the par but a few inches from the post.

Hockey is a job. When you take hockey as a job, it becomes your purpose to become stronger and faster, improve your skills and anything else that is going to make you a better player. You put in the hours every day in pursuit of this purpose.

These are just few distinctions I have made about Pro’s that anyone is capable of following. There is many other things you can do just like the Pro’s. Remember the more you “Act” like a Pro the more likely you will become one.
I encourage any comments, questions or specific things you would like for future tips. Just email me at [email protected] or visit our website at www.CompleteHockeyTraining.ca