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 Mental
Side of Goaltending
by Matthew Wheeler
June 2003
Goalie is the most important position on the field. Any
coach will tell you this. It is also the hardest position to play; most
people will admit this to you. Aside from the ball being fired at you
at speeds upwards of 100 MPH at the professional level, the goalie must
command the defense and call out defensive formations. When a goal does
get by you, all eyes are on you. They are not on the defensemen that
slipped or the attackman that turned the ball over the previous possession.
You the goalie let that ball by you. There are two ways to react after
a goal: you can figure out why the goal went in and fix the problem
or you can get angry and lose your focus. Unfortunately, there are too
many goalies that choose the latter.
This past summer, I was introduced to a book that focused
on the mental side of athletics, business, and life. The book is entitled
Thinking Body, Dancing Mind By Chungliang Al Huang and Jerry
Lynch. This book travels everywhere with me during the off season and
into the season. After you read this article, I hope you will buy into
it as well.
I am sure you have heard coaches tell you that you have
to visualize yourself doing great things. Most people think "that
visualization stuff" will not work for me. So instead, you go out
on the field and see what happens. All the great athletes of our time
including Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan spend as much time visualizing
their performances as they do actually practicing their sport. Visualization
is so important for a number of reasons. Your mind does not know the
difference between visualization and the real thing. Because of this,
by visualizing yourself doing great things, your mind believes you are
actually doing great things. As a result, when you are in the big game
and a shot comes your way, you don’t have to think, "Can
I save this shot?" Instead, you know that you can save this shot
because you have visualized yourself saving the shot. It's easier saving
a shot you have already seen!!!
In the months leading up to the season, every night before
bed I spent a few minutes reading the book I mentioned above. The book
is so great because it provides mental exercises that condition your
mind to be ready for game day. For example, one such exercise is geared
to increase confidence. After the exercise is through (it takes about
three minutes), you are ready to perform at the level you are capable
of. When the season started, I spent a little more time on mental exercises.
These mental exercises were equally important as any workout in the
gym or on the practice field.
A goalie cannot afford to become angry over goals he has
let in. You will let in goals, a goalie must accept this. The way you
react to letting in a goal is what is important. If a team sees a goalie
that is flustered, they will continue shooting. However, if a team sees
a goalie who bounces right back up after a goal and talks with the defense
and shows he is a leader, the momentum does not build. The great goalies
have the mental strength to deal with adversity.
If you read this book, or one like it, I guarantee the
quality of your play will increase twofold. I bought into it and my
play got a lot better. If you have any questions, feel free to e mail
me at mkwheeler@wesleyan.edu.
Thank You
Matthew Wheeler
Wesleyan Lacrosse
A Glance at Our Guest: Matthew Wheeler
Matthew Wheeler is a rising junior at Wesleyan University in Connecticut.
To learn more about Matthew, check out his 2003 Who's
Hot in College profile or his 2003 Goalie
of the Week interview.
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