Monday, September 24, 2012

Stampede using Mental Drills for on Ice Preparations

Press Release sent to the World of Junior Hockey

The Cheyenne Stampede is more focused than ever this season. A large part of this is that they have brought in Mike Margolies to help the team not only win on the ice, but also to win the mental game. Margolies is a Sport Psychology Consultant with 35 years of experience. He has worked with over 2000 athletes in every kind of sport imaginable. He also has published a book, “The Athlete Within You.”

Stampede General Manager Mark Lantz brought in Magolies to help give the team the mental edge required to win in Junior A hockey.  Margolies stated “it is all about performance enhancement, the mental game.” He utilizes a number of different techniques to help athletes develop mental strength. These often include teaching players how to cope with stress, how to stay relaxed in high intensity situations, and how to keep negative thoughts out.

Margolies arrived in Cheyenne on Tuesday Sept. 18 and has been busy ever since working with the players. In that span, several of the players have said that his teachings are “life changing.” Margolies works to help players prepare their minds much in the same way they do their bodies. He allows the team to be able to turn their focus, their dedication, and to channel it on command. The difference between great athletes and subpar athletes is they know how to deal with the pressure of competition. Margolies helps athletes learn not only how to deal with the pressure and stress, but how to turn it to their advantage.

The Stampede was mentioned as a top notch organization by Margolies. “Players want to come here, it is a very inviting environment.”  He said that the level of professionalism he has seen in Cheyenne from the front office to the coaching to the players themselves has been incredible. “It provides a psychological comfort zone.”  He went on to say that “it’s a very inviting environment.” He also expressed that he would like to keep up a relationship with the Stampede in the future.

Another place where sports psychology is being used, especially in hockey, is on the issue of concussions. Margolies said that he is going to work on a research project soon to fully test the methods of mind imagery and “mindfulness” to help players recover from concussions faster. He went on to say that the understanding of concussions has grown and that players, coaches, and medical staff are all far more aware of concussions now than in the past.

 (Nathan can be reached at nathanfournier@mainehockeyjournal.com)

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