I just finished watching the round robin game between Canada and the US
at the Sochi Olympics and it got me thinking about the biggest challenges
for players and coaches in these BIG games.  Most of us are in the playoff
season these days, so hopefully this message rings true for you at this time of year.
Feel free to pass it along to anyone else who you think might benefit from reading it.

When it comes to performing well in BIG games, there are really 3 KEY areas
that you need to learn to manage in order to succeed.  They all happen to
start with the letter E, so we’ll call them “The 3 Es”.

::: The 3 Es of Excelling In The BIG Game :::

1. EFFORT

There is no question that both the Canadian and US women’s Olympic teams
were putting full effort into their game today in Sochi.  They’ve put in a great
deal of hard work over the past year (and their entire career) to earn their
opportunity to play in this BIG game, and they certainly are going to leave it
all on the table when competing on the Olympic stage.  This is not really that
different than what you need to do at this time of year when it comes to stepping
it up for your playoff games.  It is very rare that any player or coach who gets into
the BIG game will do anything less than give their best effort.  You know you need
to step it up and you want to step it up – so giving your best effort isn’t the biggest
challenge you face in the BIG game.

2. EXECUTION

A bigger challenge in the BIG game is execution on both an individual and team
level.  A lot of players get nervous in big games which can lead to shaky hands,
questionable passes and poor judgement under pressure.  If players struggle
to execute their individual skills or the team system in these BIG games, this can
have a very negative effect of performance.  It is challenging to put nerves aside
and be able to step up your execution when the season is on the line. But with
proper preparation in practices, a clear outline of expectations for that game and
the right mindset, execution shouldn’t be your biggest challenge in the BIG games.

3. EMOTION

In my experiences as a player and coach, I think the most challenging thing to
manage in the BIG game is EMOTION. It is very easy to be over-excited and
over-stimulated going into the big game.  The key to having success in the
BIG game is to avoid the emotional roller coaster.  One saying I like to use with
my players to help them manage the highs and lows of a game is:

No Parades. No Funerals.

This means that you never want to get too high or too low during BIG games.
You have to be able to control your reactions to any situation to keep an even keel.
When you let your emotions get the best of you, you risk them spilling over to
the other 2 Es of execution and effort.  If your team goes down by a goal late in
the game, you may actually find yourself being too overstimulated that you can’t
think clearly and can’t execute even the most basic plays.  If your team gets up
by a few goals early in the game, you might start to take your foot off the gas
slightly or try to do too much with the puck.  These changes to your game are
due to a change in your emotion – or more specifically, your emotional reaction
to what is happening in the game at that moment.

So as you get into bigger games in the coming weeks, remember that managing
your emotions is the biggest challenge you’ll need to overcome to achieve success.

Remember – No Parades, No Funerals.

Your friend and coach,

Kim

Kim McCullough, MSc, YCS

Director, Total Female Hockey
Girls Hockey Director, PEAC School For Elite Athletes