Body Language and Your Game

By Leah Winfield for The Y Athlete

One thing that I’ve developed, which I suppose is an inherited characteristic, is the unfortunate ability of very expressive body language.
What do I mean? Well, I simply display my emotions on my sleeve. My facial expressions and my body language say everything for me without me even having to open my mouth. In some ways, this is a disadvantage if anything.

Over the years it has been pointed out to me, this trait I’ve developed, and though I’ve tried my hardest to work on it, my body language still shows the discontent and all other emotions I may feel. It’s seemingly more exaggerated the worse that I feel.

Last Friday I had a meeting with Steve Webb (ex-NHLer) and he is, to say the least, a remarkable person. I’ll probably be referencing him quite often in my blog. He has so many great things to say and such great advice and honestly, I’ve never had a feeling of such great direction in my life on my hockey goals than now (yathlete.com — check it out if you’re an athlete looking for some focus in your game). But, of course, this is all besides the point.

I bring up my meeting with him because towards the end of our chat, he began speaking to me about body-language and it definitely hit home for me for the aforementioned reasons.

He went on to say that if I come off a shift looking sorry for myself, slouched and/or hunched over on the bench, with no self-confidence in myself, then how could he have confidence in me (this was figurative of course, he used the general term “you”) when it comes to putting me on the ice. I completely understood. I began to think over the MANY games I’ve had where I came onto the bench and sat down in that same exact position.

As he spoke I nodded, knowing all to well that what he was saying was right. I never really thought of the coaches perspective and there take on body language. It dawned on me the importance of it during a game.

I want ice time. I want the coach to be confident in me but if I don’t show that I’ve got confidence in myself, how could my coach possibly have confidence in me? How could he feel comfortable with putting me on the ice when seeing the discouragement and the lack of belief in the way that I’m hunched over, head down, and the discontent/disappointment in my face after one bad shift…or a few. I’m only serving a disadvantage to myself.

I left that meeting with a lot of things to mull over in my head, one of those things was the significance of body language. Even if I feel bad about the way a shift went, the decisions I should’ve (could’ve) made, I can’t let it show that I’m getting down on myself.

I want my coach to have confidence in me. If I give off the vibe that I’m confident in my play, if I skate demanding dominance, and simply step on that ice with authority, it makes a world of a difference to those observing me.

Body Language. It’s so important…not just in sports but in everything you do. It can be a defining factor in many life situations. More people should be conscious of this — there are too many that aren’t.