Data-Driven
Journalism: Student-Directed Research Study
Tony Cerce
January 22, 2015
E Block
Data-Driven Research
Topic: Goalies
Problem Statement: I want to know what goalies have to do to reach maximum success with-in themselves
Literature Review Question: What does data tell you about the proper mental and physical training and preparation for ultimate success as a goalie in ice hockey?
Problem Statement: I want to know what goalies have to do to reach maximum success with-in themselves
Literature Review Question: What does data tell you about the proper mental and physical training and preparation for ultimate success as a goalie in ice hockey?
Literature
Review
Some people call us insane, some
people call us heroes, but we are just doing what we love in the best game on Earth—hockey.
Goaltending is the most demanding position in any sport. What does data tell
you about the proper mental and physical training and preparation for ultimate
success as a goalie in ice hockey? I have done research through mental and
physical standpoints to see what these already crazy people have to do to
achieve maximum success.
Physical
Being physically in shape is extremely important
for a goaltender in the game of hockey, and this comes with mainly training and
nutrition. With proper conditioning and nutrition, a goalie already has an
upper hand. The types of workouts you do depend on where you are in the season.
This is also true for food patterns and intake. Also, physical relaxation is
HUGE for a goalie both on and off the ice.
The off-season wins
championships. How hard you work in the off-season determines how you are for
the regular season and playoffs. As Stephan Walker says in “Between the Pipes:
Mental toughness tips for goalies,” physical conditioning, preparation,
nutrition and fueling, stretching, warm-ups, skating ability, shooting,
passing, stick handling, rebound control, net location sequences, etc., are all
imperative skills in the making of a great goalie. These are also all skills
goalies must focus on and improve during the off-season. Practicing simple
skills throughout the off-season better prepares a goalie for games and
playoffs. Nutrition and eating habits are also extremely important for athletes
in general. Staying in shape gives you a head start for try-outs and success in
the season. Staying in shape during the off-season is simple. One way to do it
is setting up a cycle of lifting and cardio. Lifting is very important for a
goalie as it increases lean muscle mass to make you stronger, quicker, and more
agile. Here is an example of a quick work out to do during the off-season to
build muscle. You would do this 4-5 times a week, changing up the exercises and
the weights each time.
Warm up
|
2 min x jumping jacks
|
2 minutes x stick handling
|
2 minutes x easy jump rope
|
Stretch
|
|
Deadlift
|
20x5
|
25x5
|
25x5
|
30x5
|
40x5
|
Crunches
|
50
|
||||
Bench Press
|
15x5
|
20x5
|
25x5
|
30x5
|
40x5
|
Crunches
|
50
|
||||
Curls
|
20x5
|
25x5
|
30x5
|
30x5
|
35x5
|
Rows
|
15x5
|
20x5
|
25x5
|
35x5
|
40x5
|
Cool down
|
Light jog
|
||||
Stretch
|
Main areas
|
worked on
|
During the
|
session
|
Young, high school
athletes are still growing at a rapid rate and should not handle heavy weights.
This can affect the athlete’s growth plates. As these athletes get stronger and
familiar with these lifts, they can start to lift heavier weights. The focus
for this group is on building strength, power, flexibility, core strength,
quickness, and agility through the use of free weights, stability balls, and
other training modalities. (Daccord, pg. 20) As for older athletes lifting is
not as important, but keeping up with cardio and agility is crucial. Many
professional athletes do intense sessions of “Cross Fit” with professional
trainers. Many goalies, such as Tim Thomas, do yoga to maintain flexibility and
relaxation.
The regular season is a
different story. Goalies should not work on training as much, but they do need
to maintain high fitness levels. As shown above in the chart, an athlete can
use that system during the season too, only now, the athlete should decrease
weight for less intense workouts, and only do it 2-3 times a week depending on
practices. There are many other ways to train during the season. Try to avoid
intense workouts where you could damage a muscle or ligament; that is the last
thing a player wants to do during the season. An athlete must no longer be
concerned about developing an increase in muscular strength, power, or energy
system capacity in the course of the season. Instead, they should maintain the
physiological abilities developed through the off-season. ("A Theoretical
Review of the Physiological Demands of Ice-Hockey”)
Goaltending
in ice hockey can be very stressful. The puck can be very scary sometimes and,
as Tuukka Koski claims, one game can destroy you. (Koentges, “The Oracle of Ice
Hockey”) As irrational as that statement seems, it is true. If your muscles
tense up every time a player winds up to shoot, the puck will go by you. If a
goalie has a bad game and becomes scared, they will never succeed, but there
are many solutions to that problem. “Goaltenders can tighten and relax muscles
of the body as a way to reduce anxiety. Beginning with the major muscles in the
arm, athletes tense up each muscle for 5 seconds, then relax the muscle. The
athlete repeats this one to two more times then moves on to the next major
muscle group (i.e., legs). Muscle relaxation is designed to increase awareness
of muscle tension, reduce anxiety, and enhance energy levels by identifying
between sensations of tension and deep relaxation.” (Gelinas, Ryan, and Krista
Munroe-Chandler) That method is very successful, especially when a goalie finds
himself/herself tensing up in games. Studies prove goalies preform best when
they are relaxed.
Mental
A goalie’s mental game determines
success or failure on the ice. There are many different forms of a mental game.
They include mental toughness, self-talk, anxiety control, visualization,
understanding the game, communication, and believe it or not music. They are
all contributes to mental success on and off the ice. A goalie must be mentally
fit in order to gain success.
If you are not mentally
tough, do not play goalie. In order to be successful you cannot be scared of
the puck. In Chris Koentges “The Oracle of Ice Hockey,” Finnish goalie coach
Urpo Ylönen says, “We catch the puck from everywhere—and it might even come to
your head. You can take it with your head. You don’t close your eyes, you don’t
be afraid.” The most effective way to fight the puck is the way you look at the
situation. Is the puck hitting you or are you stopping the puck? Telling
yourself you are stopping the puck, you are going to the puck you will be
hungrier and mentally ready.
Self-talk
is very important as a goalie. Self-talk is a mental skill that can be done
before, after, or during a game. Goaltenders should use constructive criticism
and positive statements when they self-talk, not negative statements or
put-downs. (Bull, Albinson, & Shambrook, 1996). You are your biggest enemy.
What you tell yourself is the only thing that matters as a goalie. People will
trash you but none of that should matter. If you trash yourself your
self-esteem will go down. That’s why positivity is key. Pre-game self-talk
should consist of pump-ups and confidence. No goalie is perfect and you will
give up a goal. That’s something you need to accept and move on. After the game
you can focus on correcting and working on errors made in the game.
Goaltending in ice hockey
may be one of the most demanding positions to play given the high level of
pressure and stress. (Gelinas, Ryan, and Krista Munroe-Chandler) Anxiety
control is one of the biggest problems for young goalies. Goalies are often
treated as a scapegoat. (Walker, "Between the Pipes: Mental Toughness Tips
for Goalies.”) Coaches and managers can see most goals are not the goalie’s
fault. Fans and teammates turn towards the goalie when there is no one else to
blame. Anxiety control is important in a position where every mistake is right
on the scoreboard. You should always try to look at things as a great
opportunity rather than a pressure situation where you can make a mistake.” Finnish
goalie coach Urpo Ylönen says in Chris Koentges’ “The Oracle of Ice Hockey”
that a goalie plays the game of hockey because it is their passion and they
love it. You will not be successful if you don’t want to play. So if you are
playing because you want to. Why be nervous? Play the game based on passion and
love and you will have nothing to worry about.
A good pre-game routine
is visualization. David R. McDuff explains brilliantly in his piece
"Mental Preparation for Individual and Team Sports" that a goalie “visualizes
success and positive play. This refers to maintaining a general view that
success will ultimately come from quality preparation and using visualization
and positive imagery in practice and in the days before competition. These
mental repetitions are easy to do in a relaxed state and provide a nice
addition to the physical repetitions necessary to create the muscle memory of
automatic play.”
Visualization can better
prepare you for a game. If you see what you want to do in your head, you are
more apt to do it in the game. You can connect visualization and self-talk. The
best thing to visualize is the basics, basic positioning, basic communication,
etc. In a game a lot is going through a goalie’s head, so if you remind
yourself of the basics beforehand they should come easier. Every goalie is
different and every goalie has a different pre-game routine so every goalie
will visualize what personally helps him/her prepare. As a goalie develops,
they will better able to determine what they need to do.
The final competency is
socialization or social game. This refers to the ability to be an effective
communicator and to bond with others while maintaining an attachment to strong
competitive ideals and values. This competency is also necessary for team unity
and critical for the development of a distinctive team style of play. (McDuff,
"Mental Preparation for Individual and Team Sports.") A goalie must
communicate with their teammates during the game. They are the quarterbacks of
hockey.
Walk into a rink before a
big game. Then walk by the locker rooms. More often than not you will hear
music. There is a reason for this is that music has words, sounds, and beats
that provide distraction from the stress or nervousness you might be feeling
before a game. (Allie Bendus; How Music Can Improve Your Game) What kind of
music should you listen to? Studies show upbeat or fast tempo music. Gfeller
(1988) stated that music and the rhythm or beat of the music automatically gets
the human body moving. That’s why many athletes would listen to music in order
to achieve a higher or lower level of arousal and get their bodies moving.” (Sorenson)
When listening to music is a great time to visualize the game you are about to
play. Many teams also play music before practices. My team practices at 5:30
every Tuesday morning. We play music before, while we are getting dressed, to
get our bodies moving. Music is a great tool to use before hockey, especially
for goaltenders.
Conclusion:
Hockey is a game that
everyone can appreciate. People have been playing it for years, families have
generations of people who love it. Each year it gets more and more competitive.
That’s why I did this research: to see what a goalie has to do to be the best
he/she can be. I have found a goalie’s mental game can determine whether they
succeed or fail. Being in shape is also very important. Your fitness level can
be the difference between making a huge save and letting it go in. These don’t
mean anything if you are not having fun! Hockey is a sport that requires a lot
of effort and desire. Hockey is also a sport that should be fun, so always make
sure you are having fun. I tried out for a team a few months ago. There were
over 25 goalies and 250 players there. They were only making two teams! That is
a great example of how competitive the sport has become. A coach once told me,
“You were not the best goalie on that ice tonight, but you worked hard, showed
potential, and most importantly you showed heart and desire.” I made that team
I tried out for. I was one of four goalies who made those two teams. I was not
even close to the best one on the ice. The sky is the limit, so reach for the
stars and have fun while doing it.
Gap
Identification
In my research, I found anxiety
control and self-talk are extremely important in maintaining a strong mental
status. I found this very interesting, but I feel I was left wondering why
goalies get nervous and stressed. I strive to find out why athletes get so
nervous in these high pressure situations. Goaltender is the most stressful
position in all of sports. This interests me because I am a goalie myself, and
I can relative to the nerves felt in the rink. I plan to find out why anxiety
is a problem on the ice and what I need to do to fix it.
Research
Question
Why do Norton High-School
goaltenders suffer from anxiety and stress before and during games making
anxiety control and self-talk so important?
Methodology
“Quantitative methods express the assumptions
of a positivist paradigm which holds that behavior can be explained through
objective facts.” (Patton, Michael Quinn) I want pursue in the quantitative
argument by finding facts and numbers. I will do this by collecting facts and
numbers to get a direct answer. I then want to observe these facts to get
extensive information resulting in a general conclusion. “Qualitative
researchers engage in naturalistic inquiry, studying real-world settings
inductively to generate rich narrative descriptions and construct case studies.”
(Patton, Michael Quinn.) I plan to apply my findings to the real world,
resulting in the qualitative research method. Therefore, I will be using mixed
methods to develop a conclusion based on my research.
Research
methods
Data Collection Process and Instrument
I used a common strategy
to gather my information. I surveyed three different groups of people: hockey
fans, teammates, and goalies. I also interview three coaches to gather more
direct information from them. The process was very easy. I handed out some
surveys throughout the week, targeting some of our biggest supporters. Then
before video session on Sunday, I handed out the teammate survey to my
teammates. I also surveyed soccer players to gather a wider perimeter of
results. Next, I talked to some goalies. I explained the research I was doing
and let them know how serious it needs to be. After doing this, I feel I got
accurate results for the people surveyed. Lastly, I wanted to interview some
coaches. I scheduled a time before practice with three of my coaches and
quickly interview them. Sadly, I did not get the chance to interview a coach
from a different sport. Fortunately, I believe I have gotten very good and
helpful information.
Sample Population
The population I used to
conduct my research was broken up into four categories. One group of people was
the hockey and soccer fans at Norton High School. I also had young adults,
adults, and parents take the survey. I then made a survey for high school
athletes that participate in a sport with a goalie. I thought this would help
give another point of view about goalies, and to see how they react before
games. Another category I made was coaches. Coaches apply a lot of pressure to
the players on their teams so I wanted to get information from the coach’s
point of view. The last population of people interviewed were the goalies. I
got most of my information from the goalie surveys.
Data Analysis
After going through the
data I have collected, I found the results very interesting. For the Hockey
Fans section of my research, I found most fans come to support the team as a
whole or come because of Bobby Trudeau. All the fans agreed they only yell at
the goalie in support or if he or she made a nice save. More than half of the
fans claim their favorite part of coming to the games is Bobby Trudeau. The
teammates answered very simply. Most declared they get nervous prior to games
depending on the team they are playing. The coaches claim they also get nervous
before games depending on the team we are facing. They say they do not normally
talk to their goalies prior to the games, but if they do it is to pump them up.
The goalie survey was very interesting. On average, goalies experience anxiety
before every competitive game. We also all agree the pressure on the game
causes the most anxiety. Every goalie I talked to has a pre-game routine.
Findings
I have conducted research
to find the answer to my research question. After interviewing five goaltenders
at Norton High School for both hockey and soccer, many of the answers are
similar. Goalies get most nervousness and stressed prior to games compared to
during or after. I also found that anxiety only occurs before regular season
games and when the goalie is competing for a spot or they are playing a rival
or good team. Pressure and crowds seems to alter a keeper’s anxiety the most.
They also agreed that fans and coaches put the most pressure on them. I then
surveyed several fans and coaches and found interesting results. The fans claim
they attend the games to support Bobby Trudeau and the whole team. They say they
only yell at the goalie in support or they yell at Bobby because he’s handsome.
I have found half the reason Norton Hockey has any fans at all is because of
Mr. Hollywood himself, Bobby Trudeau. Lastly, I interviewed the coaches and
determined they only yell at goalies to make them better and they will choose
the better goalie so they need to keep working hard. I also wanted to survey
teammates to see if they experience stress and anxiety. On average, players get
most nervous when they play rivals or good teams. I also wanted to find out
more information about pre-game routines. Most goalies warm up with the team
then further warm up by themselves. Individual players warm up with the team
and do what the captions tell them to do. All of the athletes I surveyed listen
to music prior to the game.
Conclusion
What does data tell you
about the proper mental and physical training and preparation for ultimate
success as a goalie in ice hockey? That was my original question when I started
this paper. After gathering information, I found self-talk and anxiety control
was the most important part in a goalie’s mental success. I then wanted to know
why goalies got stressed and nervous, so I extended my research on why goalies
at Norton High School got nervous and stressed before and during games. Now
that it’s all over, I had found the answers I was looking for. Goalies get
nervous and stressed before games because of what they tell themselves. They
tend to blame the fans, but most of the fans are there for Bobby Trudeau.
Coaches may put a lot of pressure on the goalie, but that’s something goalies
need to ignore and live with. If goalies just go out there and play their heart
out, they will be fine. In many sports the only thing between a goal and a save
is the goalie, the only thing between a win and a loss is the goalie, the only
thing between victory and failure is the goalie. That’s a lot of pressure on
one human being. It doesn’t have to be! It all depends on what you tell
yourself, whether or not you let the pressure and bad thoughts get to you. In
reality your life is what you make it, so why let stress and anxiety bring you
down? What does this all mean? Why does it matter? High School sports aren’t
just for the excitement and the atmosphere. They also teach young, growing
adults life lessons for the future. In life people experience stress,
nervousness, and anxiety every day whether it’s at work, at home, or even
during a hobby. It’s part of life. If a goalie cannot deal with or cope with
stress on the ice, how can they expect to be successful in life? That’s why
it’s important to think positively and relax. After all, we humans only have so
long on this beautiful place we call Earth. So make the most of it and keep a
smile on your face. That’s the real lesson here: be happy and stay happy no
matter what people say or what happens.
Work Cited
-Gelinas,
Ryan, and Krista Munroe-Chandler. "RESEARCH NOTE: Psychological Skills for
Successful Ice Hockey Goaltenders." Athletic Insight-The Online Journal of
Sport Psychology 8.2 (2006).
-Daccord, Brian, ed. Hockey goaltending. Human
Kinetics, 2008.
-Walker, Stephan. "Between the Pipes: Mental
Toughness Tips for Goalies. "Podium Sports Journal. 1 Jan. 2013. Web. 19
Nov. 2014.
-Unknown "A Theoretical Review of the
Physiological Demands of Ice-Hockey and a Full Year Periodized Sport Specific
Conditioning Program for the Canadian Junior Hockey Player."
Performancetrainingsystems. Web. 20
-McDuff, David R., et al. "Mental Preparation for
Individual and Team Sports."
-Sorenson, Lacey, et al. "Listen up! The
experience of music in sport: A phenomenological investigation." Athletic
Insight 10.2 (2008).
-The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company. Web. 12 Dec.
2014.
-http://hockeyfamilyadvisor.com/2013/07/13/ (picture)
-http://leagueittous.blogspot.com/2012/05/avs-ink-three-goalies.html
(picture)
-http://boston.sportsthenandnow.com/2013/09/17/bruins-mailbag-preseason-edition/st-louis-blues-vs-boston-bruins-11610/9
(picture)
-http://www.wbur.org/2011/06/07/bruins-canuck (picture)
-Patton, Michael Quinn. Qualitative research.
John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 2005.