Mental Game

In this podcast episode, we share a truly amazing story of a PHOENIX rising out of the ashes of some heartbreaking hardships on and off the ice to build an amazing life that is still very much connected to the world of women’s hockey.

In our 1st ever Total Female Hockey Podcast episode, Coach Kim McCullough talks about how all players can take their game to the next level this season by working on the "not so sexy" stuff. Most players don't do any of this stuff at all, so doing it regularly throughout the season will give you a huge advantage over the competition.

The biggest issue when it comes to the mental side of the game with female hockey players is confidence. Here's where confidence comes from.

Highlight's of Coach Kim's journey as a player, parent and coach.

I want to share a simple MENTAL performance technique I use with players and teams to work on developing the mindset and tools needed to “control what you can control”. It’s called box breathing and I’ve included a quick video of me showing you how it’s done here.

We all need a little extra motivation these days. That’s why I wanted to share my PINK TAPE Motivation story with you. In this super quick 3 minute video, you’ll hear about about how I used to get myself fired up for really tough workouts back when I played NCAA D1 hockey.

In these uncertain times, it can be hard for players to figure out what's most important to focus on. Here Coach Kim asks you to take the long view for a second to figure out what to focus on to get ready for next season.

I wish I could just give girls hockey players confidence. I wish it was something that I could just package up and hand to them so that they’d believe in themselves. But I can’t.  No one can. Confidence has to come from within.

There are plenty of opportunities for girls’ hockey players to grow and develop, but only a select few ever reach the highest level of achievement. At the end of the day, what truly separates good players from the great ones is their psychological make-up.

The giving and taking of compliments in girls hockey can be tricky. Here's how to do it so it benefits both the player and her teammates.

By far the biggest difference between boys and girls hockey players is confidence. Here I share a great story about a player whose on-ice performance and confidence level just didn't match up.

Here are 4 simple things you can do during the off-season to take your game to the next level.

Here’s a little advice for players looking to make the jump from A to AA, house-league to rep, midget to junior, or minor hockey to college hockey next season.

Video is a fantastic teaching and learning tool for young hockey players. Most young people are visual learners so we need to teach them in a way that they'll best absorb the information.

Whenever I sit down and talk with aspiring young players about the opportunities that lay ahead of them in the female game, I always start with this same message...

A big key to building confidence is setting daily goals and working your hardest to get them. But it's what you do after each practice and game that really takes your mental game to the next level.

Here are 3 simple things you can start doing today to become a better hockey player.

Coaches can be very demanding on their players and sometimes it's hard to figure out exactly what your coach wants. So here are 7 critical "C"s that all coaches are looking for this season.

Every player wants to be the one the coach calls upon to win the big game. Every goalie wants to be in for the games that "matter". Every forward wants to score the game-winner and every defenseman wants to be out there in the last minute blocking shots to preserve the one goal lead. But what do you do if you aren't given that role?

I have NEVER missed a game due to sickness or injury or any other reason in my entire hockey career.  From the time I started at 13 until I retired at 28, I played in EVERY game.  But I definitely shouldn't have and neither should you.

Dressing room drama has the ability to rip a team apart and cause divisions and problems that inevitably spill over onto the ice. Here I share some thoughts based on my experiences than can help you get your team on track for the rest of this season.

Winning in cards is no different than winning in hockey and in life. You have to play to your strengths. You've got to play your aces.

Sometimes we're looking for a big quote to guide our entire season or year. And sometimes we just need that little something 'extra' to get us fired up or our next practice or game. Hopefully one of the quotes below helps to get you going when you need it the most.

When I was a young player, I let my frustrations get to me on the ice.  And I didn’t think it was having an effect on my performance. It was just “what I did”. But when I finally changed my ways, the effect was transformative.

I just re-read an amazing book by Carol Dweck called "Mindset "and I wanted to share a key concept from the book with you as I know it will help players, parents and coaches alike to take their mental game to the next level.

It's amazing that we can let our mental game go south so quickly - but I see it happen all the time with my players and I have to admit it used to happen to me when I was a young player too.

It's easy to figure out if you're a 'real' hockey player. You either have the 'hockey first' mentality - or you don't. I'm not saying that having the 'hockey first' mentality is a good or bad thing. But it is essential if you want to excel at the elite levels of the game. It is essential if you want to discover how good you can truly be.

Sometimes all you need is a great quote to catapult your day, practice, game from good to great. Hopefully one of these is the right one for you!

As a player, once I decided that I would stay positive no matter what happened, that 'winning' mindset translated directly into me having more success on and off the ice.

In big games, both teams are prepared and know what they need to do in order to win. Ultimately, success all comes down to trust.

Here are the 3 Es for excelling in the BIG game.

Where does stress come from? How do we deal with it? Is it even real?

Whether on the ice or in life, preparation is the key to success. I learned this lesson the hard way 10 years ago in the mountains of New Hampshire.

The biggest difference between male and female hockey players is CONFIDENCE. Girls tend to be far too under-confident in their abilities and that needs to change.

No two female hockey players are the same.  So why do we constantly compare ourselves to others?  Comparisons are the #1 confidence killer in girls' hockey and here's why.

Things don't always go as planned. We often have an expectation or vision of what we think will happen and then inevitably things go sideways. Here's what to do when adversity strikes.

A great quote can catapult you to another level of motivation and performance. Here are 7 great ones.

Tryout season can be hard. But it's what you do after it's done that makes a difference. If you didn’t make the team you wanted to make, it doesn’t mean that you should just coast through the summer and not work hard to be your best. And if you made the team, you aren’t off the hook either.

Tryouts take all of our stress levels through the roof.  We're all worried that we might make the wrong choice, that what people are telling us is not the truth, and that we won't end up with the team we'd hoped for.  The truth is - we're all in the same boat as players, parents and coaches.

Who played worse? Me or you? Why are girls hockey players even asking themselves this question?

Confidence has to come from within. But it’s not an “all the time” thing.

It seems that now, more than ever, players and kids feel entitled to have what they want when they want it - no questions asked. Here I discuss how this impacts individual players & teams.

Having a growth mindset instead of a fixed mindset will transform your game and your life. Learn more here.

No matter the age, ability or commitment level, all teams have to address 5 critical areas of player development if they want to have a safe and successful season.