Playoffs are here and you want to make sure that you do everything you can to perform your best. Here are 7 simple secrets you can use throughout the post-season to have a successful playoff run.
1) Drink
Are you drinking enough water? Are you sure? Remember – once you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated. Drinking water consistently throughout the day will have you performing your best physically and mentally.

2) Stretch
Playoff time is the most hectic part of the hockey season. Finding 10 minutes to do your hockey-specific stretches can be hard to do. But it is one way to guarantee that you get through the playoff grind with as much energy (and as few injuries) as possible.

3) Warm-Up
By this point in the season, you and your team should have a solid off-ice warm-up routine in place. Sometimes the weather and traffic don’t cooperate and you don’t have time to do your full 15 minute warm-up routine. That’s when the one-minute warm-ups come in handy.

4) Cool-Down
Taking the time to do a cool-down jog for 5 minutes after getting off the ice will make a huge difference in how your body is able to recover in time for the next playoff battle. The cool-down is just as important as the warm-up.

5) Set Goals You Can Control
There are lots of potential distractions on and off the ice that are only magnified when you put them under the pressure of playoff hockey. Remember to set goals for yourself before every game that focus on things you can control: how hard you work and what your attitude is like.

6) Stay Focused On YOU
This one goes along with number 5. Instead of worrying about what the other team’s systems, plays and record looks like, focus on what you are going to do as an individual to play your game to the best of your ability.

7) Leave It All Out On The Ice
When the season is on the line, it is easy to motivate yourself to leave it all out on the ice. Because of all of the hard work you have been doing on and off the ice to take your game to the next level, you’ll have a lot more left to give late in the season.

There you have it – 7 Simple Secrets of Hockey Playoff Success. Use these tips to separate yourself from your competition and have your most successful post-season ever.

Work Hard. Dream BIG.

~ Coach Kim