PresSURE!

Pressure...its a funny thing. Every sport has it, every position has it. The players that deal with it and can still perform are the ones that succeed.

People often ask me why I became a hockey goalie, "crazy to stand in front of 100mph shots from a hard puck" that's what they would say. I look at it from a different angle. There is only one position on the ice that can not make a mistake. If I let in a goal my team is down on the scoreboard or in that second can lose a game. Yes the pressure is on the team to score but who are they scoring on?! I love that responsiblity and pressure it makes me focus in the game on perfection, it makes me practice hard and work hard in the weight room. So that I be confident that I have prepared to the best of my ability and am phyiscally ready to deal with the pressure.

Some people fold under pressure once the stakes are raised they are a shell of themselves. I believe that is mental. They lose focus on the fundamentals they try too hard to make plays. Anytime it was faced with a "bigger" game, I would go through my normal routine which included bowing my head and focusing on my job and specific technical points (rebound control, communication, etc). I would tune in my focus even more during the first few minutes to ensure I was sharp on the first few shots, after that everything would relax.

I guess the bottom line is FOCUS. On the things you have done to prepare and know you are ready, Focus on the technical things early on (catching before running, ball security when there is contact) and lastly being Focus staying patient if you make a mistake refocus, you will get another opportunity.

You are ready...the stage can't change that.