Bring Your "A" Game A Young Athlete's Guide to Mental Toughness

A conversation with Jennifer L. Etnier, author of Bring Your "A" Game: A Young Athlete's Guide to Mental Toughness (University of North Carolina Press, December 2009).

The text of this interview is available at:
www.ibiblio.org/uncp/media/etnier/



Q: What inspired you to write Bring Your "A" Game: A Young Athlete's Guide to Mental Toughness? 


A: The simple answer is "because of the obvious need." It only takes a few minutes of observing a youth sporting event to see that many young athletes are in serious need of mental toughness training. Anyone watching these events will see athletes dropping their heads after a mistake, losing their temper after a decision by an official, making errors on easy scoring opportunities, and berating their teammates.

Additionally, many coaches have told me that they wished they'd had access to sport psychology when they were younger. They've also expressed that they wished there were sport psychology materials targeted towards young athletes and available for their teams. For these reasons, I thought a book designed to make mental toughness training skills available to young athletes would be a huge help to them as they worked to achieve their potential in sport.

 

Q: Who will benefit from reading this book? Is it geared towards specific sports? 


A: The skills that are described in this book were developed in the field of sport psychology, and the book was written specifically for young athletes. However, the book is not geared towards any specific sport. Instead, the book was intentionally written to include examples from a variety of sports, and the skills that are introduced are equally applicable to team sports and to individual sports. Despite the focus on sport, the mental toughness skills that are described in the book can be of benefit to any person who has performance-related goals. In addition to athletes, this book can benefit a variety of people, including entrepreneurs, performing artists, gamers, and students. Simply put -- anyone who has aspirations of achieving success could benefit from the development of mental toughness.

 

Q: What are your own experiences with competitive sports? Have you used these techniques yourself?


A: My parents are phenomenal athletes, and I grew up learning to play a wide variety of sports and learning to love them all!  I was the only girl playing on an all-boys soccer team in high school, and I was a regular starter during my junior and senior years. I lettered in three sports in high school -- softball, soccer, and basketball -- and wish I could have played more sports. I played soccer at the University of Tennessee and was the sweeper and team captain. I then played soccer semi-professionally for one season and had the opportunity to play for my state team at regional competitions on two occasions. I coached youth soccer teams for a number of years and was a volunteer assistant coach at Wake Forest University for three years. I continue to play soccer and look forward to getting back into coaching when my children are old enough to participate in sport.

As a young athlete, I was not formally aware of the field of sport psychology or of the mental skills that are so important to the development of mental toughness. I believe that many of these skills were instilled in me by my parents (positive self-talk, maintaining focus, confidence, commitment, and work ethic), but I certainly think that I might have had greater success in sport had I been aware of other beneficial techniques such as goal setting, mental imagery, and energy management. As an adult, I use these techniques in sport and in reaching my professional aspirations, and I find that they give me an edge that allows me to perform well in a variety of situations.

 

Q: How important do you think sports psychology and mental toughness are for successful performance?


A: Mental toughness is a critical factor from the time a young person begins to learn a new sport to the time when an elite athlete is competing for a valued prize. Mental toughness helps an athlete to commit to the hours of training necessary for success while maintaining the balance necessary to persevere, makes it possible for an athlete to maintain confidence and focus in challenging situations, and helps an athlete come to every competition ready to perform at a high level and to battle through the periods of adversity and disappointment that they may face. For the young athlete, mental toughness is key to realizing his or her full potential. At the highest level of play, mental toughness is often the deciding factor in important competitions.

 

Q: Are there any characteristics beyond mental toughness that are essential for success in sports?


A: A host of physical attributes can contribute to your ability to be successful in sport. In this book, I talk about the importance of recognizing which of these physical attributes are solely determined by your genetic make-up and which can be modified through training. The key is to be able to make the most of the physical attributes that you have, to maximally improve the physical attributes that can be changed, and to develop other game-related skills to ensure that you are the best player you can be. And the key to doing these three things is mental toughness. Thus, although physical characteristics can certainly help you to achieve success, it is my belief that athletes who do not have mental toughness will not reach their potential regardless of their physical attributes.

 

Q: How important are coaches and teammates in achieving success?


A: Before I answer this question, I should point out that I define success as performing at your best regardless of the outcome of the event. When success is defined this way, the bulk of the responsibility falls upon the individual athlete. The athlete must have the psychological skills and the mental toughness to bring his or her "A" game to every competition. That being said, coaches and teammates can certainly help you to reach this goal. Supportive and challenging teammates, knowledgeable and skillful coaches who understand sport psychology, and a positive and competitive training environment can contribute to your ability to develop every day. In my book, I address the importance of selecting a coach and team that will help you to develop into the best athlete you can be.

 

Q: Is there any single mental skill that you view as being more important than the others?


A: Although all of the mental skills that I describe are important for the development of mental toughness, there is one mental skill that is commonly used by all elite athletes.

Mental imagery is the process of imagining yourself performing some particular action. It is a technique that can be extremely helpful for mental toughness because it can be used in a number of different ways and in conjunction with other mental skills. For example, you can use mental imagery to visualize past accomplishments to maintain (or regain) confidence. You can use it to help manage your energy levels as part of your pre-performance routine or to help you relax the night before an important competition. You can use it to rehearse performance skills so that they can be performed well in the face of adversity or to practice them when you are fatigued or injured and unable to perform physically. Thus, mental imagery is a skill that greatly facilitates the development of mental toughness in ways that will be realized in competition.

 

Q: How did you come up with these techniques? How do you know they are effective?


A: I can't take credit for coming up with the sport psychology skills per se as these are techniques that are a part of the sport psychology literature. However, I have recognized that these skills have not been made available to young athletes. For this reason, I have written this book specifically for this age group and have provided descriptions of the techniques, examples, worksheets, and anecdotes designed to translate these skills to the language of young athletes.

With respect to knowing that these skills are effective, that evidence comes from several sources. Many of these skills were initially identified by simply asking elite athletes what types of psychological skills they used to perform at the highest level. Since their initial identification, however, most of these techniques have been tested scientifically to establish their effectiveness in sport situations. Although future research will undoubtedly teach us more about the specifics of utilizing these techniques, the evidence clearly suggests that mastery of these skills is advisable for those interested in performing at their best on a consistent basis.

 

Q: You include exercises and worksheets at the end of each chapter. How should these be used?


A: My hope is that readers will use these exercises in conjunction with their reading of the relevant material. However, many of these worksheets will also need to be revisited over time so that the mental skills can evolve with the development of the athlete. For example, the goal setting worksheet is designed to identify short- and long-term goals that help an athlete reach his or her ultimate dream. Once completed, the athlete can refer to this goal-setting plan to help stay focused on his or her goals. But, after 6 months or a year have passed, the worksheet should be revisited so that goals can be updated to reflect the athlete's continued development and progress.

 

Q: What role do you think parents should play in their child's performance?


A: Without at least minimal parental support, I do not believe a young athlete can be successful in sport. This minimal support includes things like allowing the child to play, signing the child up for a team, and providing transportation. However, a parent who provides additional support that is positive in nature can greatly foster their child's ability to be successful in sport. This additional support may include being encouraging and supportive, helping their child to learn to deal with adversity and disappointment, teaching their child to strive for greatness, and nurturing their child's love for the sport. Parents who provide this positive support can play an important role in helping their child to achieve his or her goals.

On the other hand, there are many parents who actually hinder their child's ability to be successful in sport -- they do this in a variety of ways such as emphasizing winning over skill development; negatively criticizing their child's performance; and putting their needs, expectations, and goals ahead of their child's. Although some children are extremely resilient and can be successful in spite of their parents, many will not be able to successfully navigate their way to sport success when faced with such negative influence.

As a last note, although parents may be the most likely people to provide positive support to their child, young athletes often find this type of support in an older sibling, a family friend, a school teacher or administrator, or a member of the coaching staff. Certainly, the young athlete who is surrounded by supportive adults is better positioned for success than the young athlete who is influenced negatively by adults around him or her.

Motivating by Fear

Player motivation can come from a variety of sources and in both positive and negative ways. The best professional athletes are always driven by their own internal love of sport and athletic competition. When they become motivated by fear or reward they often go into "slumps".

When this lesson is applied to young athletes, parents can accomplish more by helping their kids discover their own love of the sport and thrill of competition rather than by offering monetary incentives or yelling instructions.

 Go to this website for more great articles!

NCAA Hockey Eligibility: Leaving the Option Open

Posted by John WiresNCAATuesday, August 2nd, 2011

The NCAA has strict and detailed rules governing the way student-athletes are recruited in the hockey world, the way they agree to join a program and more particularly for determining eligibility. The rules are taken very seriously by the NCAA and each university within the NCAA. The consequence of not complying with the rules can be quite serious.

For example, in the 2011 recruiting year Julien Laplante, a goalie who played for the Bonnyville Pontiacs was found to have played one period in an exhibition game for the Western Hockey League’s (“WHL”) Portland Winter Hawks a few years ago. As Ken Schott reported:

“First-year Union head coach Rick Bennett said … that Laplante won’t be tending goal ever for the Dutchmen… That is in violation of NCAA rules because players who are in Canadian major junior hockey are paid. The Winter Hawks held Laplante’s Canadian Hockey League rights”

Whether Laplante was actually paid for his appearance doesn’t seem to matter. Simply because the WHL is considered a professional league all players lose their eligibility. According to the NCAA, players can maintain their eligibility if they try-out for a professional team prior to joining a college team, but they cannot try-out for a professional team once they have

Julien Laplante of the Bonnyville Pontiacs

joined their college team. If they do, they will lose their eligibility. Players need to be careful with what constitutes a “try-out”. College Hockey Inc has a good checklist for players considering a CHL or other professional league tryout.

The eligibility rules force young players to make a key decision leading up to their CHL draft year; whether they will leave the NCAA door open or not.

Aside from not playing pro before joining a college team, for student-athletes currently in high school its important to note that there are certain grade point averages and mandatory classes to take.

When Mark Wires was going though this process his academic advisor failed to mention that in order to be eligible for the NCAA he was required to have a grade 12 (senior year) english course. In Ontario high schools grade 12 english, at the time, was not mandatory. Not having taken the proper core courses almost cost him his eligibility; save for the bending of a few rules in Ontario school system.

According to the NCAAStudent.org guide the requirements during in 2009-2010 included:

• Graduating from high school;
• Completing these 16 core courses;

• 4 years of English
• 3 years of math (Algebra 1 or higher)
• 2 years of natural or physical science (including one year of lab science if offered by your high school)
• 1 extra year of English, math, or natural or physical science – 2 years of social science
• 4 years of extra core courses (from any category above, or foreign language, nondoctrinal religion or philosophy);
• Earning a minimum required grade-point average in your core courses; and
• Earning a combined SAT or ACT sum score that matches your core-course grade-point average and test score sliding scale (for example, a 2.400 core-course grade-point average needs an 860 SAT).

There is also a requirement to graduate with your high school class.  That is, players must complete the 16 core-course requirement in eight semesters, which begins when you initially started high school with your ninth-grade class.  On the other hand, players like Mike Cammallaeri managed to graduate high school in just three years.

The NCAA Eligibility Center

All high school student-athletes who hold out for the US college route have to register with the NCAA’s Eligibility Center (formerly the NCAA Clearing House). There’s a $95 fee for Canadians to register.  As noted above, even Canadian’s intending on joining an NCAA program must write the SAT. Most university programs have minimum test scores that athletes must obtain in order to be offered a spot on the team, although standards vary from team to team.

Players wanting to leave the NCAA route open should register with the NCAA Eligibility Center at the beginning of their junior year in high school. At the end of the student’s junior year, a transcript, including six semesters of grades, needs be sent to the NCAA Eligibility Center from the high school. Additionally, students should have their SAT scores forwarded directly to the NCAA Eligibility Centre.

Some tier II Jr. teams gear their programs towards promoting the NCAA route, including the North York Rangers in the Ontario Jr. Hockey League (“OJHL”). Those deciding to stick it out and protect their eligibility more often than not chose to join a provincial Jr. leauge like the OJHL. However, in some US States it is still popular to play high school or prep school hockey. There is also a growing trend towards the USHL.

For an overview of eligibility rules in aid of college bound athletes check out this guide (note however it is a 2009-2010 guide)

For more on the NCAA Recruitment Rules check out “Why am I not being Recruited by NCAA Teams?”

*** WARNING: This article is intended for informational purposes only. This article does not set out all of the relevant rules and rules change. Players must ensure they have complied with current rules and are encouraged to research the rules themselves or seek professional help. Contact the NCAA Eligibility Center and NCAA.org for official details. 

I am not ripped! Should I quit?

This is blog from the president of Beachbody.com. A friend was going to stop working out because she was not anywhere close to being ripped. The following blog article can be related to anyone in sports. Thus, I have included it in this blog! Heed its warning and and its start with the right attitude and mind set!

His blog is here!

SEPTEMBER 6TH, 2011

I got a note from a coach who did the amazing; she lost 50lbs! But she is not in shape to do X2 because she has another 100lbs to lose…  so what’s the next move? Looks like she is thinking of quitting the business.

Am I talking to myself on these phone calls?

This business is not about P90X or P90X2. This is not about who can get skinny. This is not about being ripped. I am not ripped. Should I quit?

This business is about helping people achieve their goals to lead healthy fulfilling lives. That’s it.

You can inspire people from a wheelchair. You can inspire people by showing them how you plan your eating so you are healthier. You can inspire people simply by your refusal to quit.

Or you can feel the resistance, and give up. You can let the rope slip out of your hands and slide back into the darkness that is your fear, owning past mediocrity as if it was your present, and let your own inner demons run the show, demons that you’ve picked up over a lifetime of other people telling you that you aren’t good enough.

For once in your life, shut that crap out. Put your effort at getting past it, not quitting! When will you see that nothing is holding you back, but YOU and your willingness to work for it?!

Even if you say to yourself  “I know it’s my fault, I should have tried harder”, that doesn’t change things for you. You don’t have to resign to  “I should have tried harder” and feel righteous that you copped to a weakness. Screw that… Just. Try. Harder.

Step one to trying harder: Don’t quit. Ever.

Baseless insecurity wants to run our lives. But don’t you dare let it run yours. I need you. I need you to see past the ego, past the ideal body, past the competitions and promotions. I need you to see the amazing work we are doing at motivating people to get healthy. Every. Single. Coach. Counts. Top coach? Cool concept and great show at Summit, but not more important than any other coach who is willing to try to help one more person engage in a healthier lifestyle.

I need you to not quit. And guess what? YOU need you to not quit.

So really, come on now, lighten up for a second, get some perspective, and suck it up. Be tougher than you used to be. Recommit right now. Right now is when you define yourself. Right now is when you can show yourself who is the boss.

Strength is not required when things are easy, strength is required when things are challenging. Now is when we need your strength. Show yourself that you are stronger than you thought. (And you know who you are)

Easton Stealth S19 One Piece Stick Review

By Hockey Gear Review M, Hockey Gear Review 

Thursday September 1st 2011

The high-end one-piece composite stick segment is always exciting and entertaining to analyze; these sticks are pricey, solely performance based and this particular market segment is dominated by just a handful of sticks and even fewer manufacturers.

One of these sticks is the Easton S19, revered as “crème de la crème” by professionals, amateurs and recreational players alike. Those who play with this stick are demanding of it – and so they should be at $289.99. Suffice to say HGR has had the opportunity to demo this stick and we can say that it lives up to its expectations.

While compression molded shafts aren’t big news, Easton claims that the S19 features thin layers of Kevlar wrapping, in fact, “twice as many” layers resulting in added feel, torsional stiffness and responsiveness.

As you make your way down the concave shaft towards the blade, Easton incorporated what they refer to as the TORX Elliptical profile, an oval-shaped shaft designed to “store and release torque” allowing quicker shot releases.

Warrior was one of the first stick manufacturers to design and use multi-ribbed channels found on the backside of the blades. Easton has done something similar with the S19 which they refer to as the Micro Bladder – designed to control and maintain blade torqueing and flexing during shot releases. As expected the blade is rigid and whether you’re passing, loading up one-timers or shooting, the puck comes off hot.

What I discovered shooting around with the S19 was how harmonious the shaft and blade felt, together they felt synchronized. The shaft releases quickly, you feel confident with “point and shoot accuracy” and the high-density core blade provides very good feedback.

One of the other benefits to added layers of Kevlar is shaft and blade dampening – an area that most manufactures pay little attention to. I took a few one timers off the toe of the blade and while it affected the velocity, I didn’t feel any chattering vibrations from the shaft.

I’ve never been one to have performance and durability issues with Easton sticks and I don’t expect the S19 to be any different. This is a high performance stick and you get what you pay for. To get the most out of the shaft and blade you need to get down and into your shots. I would not recommend the S19 to beginner and middle-intermediate players as the performance gains will be marginal and the same results could be achieved from a stick that costs a fraction of the price. Viewers may also want to consider the ST or EQ50 as an alternative to the S19. The Sr. models are available in 3 flexes (100, 85, 65) and just two patterns (Sakic & Zetterberg). The Jr. model is a 50 flex and available in Iginla and Sakic patterns. It would have been nice to see additional patterns but with limited patterns, it allows sales to spread amongst comparable Easton brands. Hockey Gear Review recommends the Easton S19 to the intermediate player and above.

Core Hockey Training Video Channel

Core Hockey Training now has a video channel where you can view videos that will help your hockey game and life skills.

Currently we have three playlists - Motivational, Leadership and Skill Development!

There will be something for parents, players and coaches! Please visit often, as we will add new videos on a regular basis!

Click here to go the Core Hockey Training Channel. We have video's there for you to watch!

Please become a subscriber and bookmark the site!

How Bad Do You Want It?

Lowfat Chocolate Milk - Post Exercise Recovery Advantages Read more: http://www.disabled-world.com/fitness/chocolate-milk.php#ixzz1WoySWt1K

Grabbing lowfat chocolate milk after a tough workout helped give both trained and amateur athletes a post-exercise training advantage, according to three new studies presented at the American College of Sports Medicine and published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research this month. Athletes in the studies who had a post-exercise lowfat chocolate milk– with the right mix of carbs and high-quality protein – had improved training times, better body composition (more muscle, less fat) and were in better shape than their peers who drank typical sports beverages with carbohydrates only.

In three related studies, researchers at the University of Texas at Austin compared the recovery benefits of drinking lowfat chocolate milk after exercise to a carbohydrate beverage with the same calories (similar to a typical sports drink) and calorie-free beverages. The new research linked drinking lowfat chocolate milk after strenuous exercise to:

Improved Performance:
Following an exhausting ride, trained cyclists had significantly more power and rode faster, shaving about six minutes, on average, from their ride time when they recovered with lowfat chocolate milk compared to a carbohydrate sports drink and calorie-free beverage. The 10 cyclists rode for 90 minutes at a moderate intensity followed by 10 minutes of high intensity intervals. During a four-hour recovery period, they drank one of the three recovery beverages immediately and two hours later before heading on a second 40 kilometer ride.

(1) Quicker Exercise Adaptation:
Compared to the other recovery drinks, chocolate milk drinkers had twice the improvement in V02max – a measure of aerobic fitness and adaptation – after a 4.5 week cycling regimen that included intense exercise five days a week, followed by one of the three recovery beverages. The study included 32 healthy but untrained male and female cyclists.

(2) Better Body Composition (More Muscle, Less Fat):
Chocolate milk drinkers gained more muscle and lost more fat during training, with a 3 pound lean muscle advantage at the end of the 4.5 weeks compared to athletes who grabbed a carbohydrate drink. The 32 healthy but untrained male and female cyclists rode for one hour, five days a week and drank one of the three recovery beverages immediately following and one hour post-exercise. (3)
"Collectively, our research suggests that lowfat chocolate milk – easily accessible for most athletes – can improve performance and aid training for trained and amateur athletes faced with tough routines," said John L. Ivy, Ph.D, lead researcher on the University of Texas at Austin studies. "We may need more research to understand the exact mechanisms, but there's something that chocolate milk naturally has that likely gives it the post-exercise advantage."
Experts agree the two-hour window after exercise is an important, yet often neglected, part of fitness routine. After strenuous exercise, this post-workout recovery period is critical for active people at all fitness levels to help make the most of a workout and stay in top shape for the next workout.


Chocolate Milk – Nature's Recovery Drink
Lowfat chocolate milk naturally has many of the nutrients most commercial recovery drinks have to add in the lab – including high-quality protein and key electrolytes like calcium, potassium, sodium and magnesium. Plus, it has B vitamins for energy to get you going, and the combo of five bone-building nutrients – calcium, vitamin D, phosphorus, protein and potassium –to help athletes build and maintain strong bones and reduce risk for stress fractures.
Lowfat chocolate milk also contains high-quality protein to help repair and rebuild muscles after strenuous exercise. This new research adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting milk is an effective way to help athletes refuel and recover.

 Refuel with Chocolate Milk Resources and Grants:
Visit Facebook.com/ChocolateMilkRefuel and read about the latest news and research around post-exercise nutrition. Athletes can also vie for one of 100 Refuel Grants at www.RefuelwithChocolateMilk.com through January 15, 2012. Individual athletes and athletic groups who give it their all and then refuel with chocolate milk can apply for a shot at joining athletes like Apolo Ohno, Chris Bosh and Dara Torres on Team Refuel and receive a $250 Individual Athlete Refuel Grant or a $500 Athletic Group Refuel Grant. Plus, all grant recipients score Team Refuel training gear.


Sources:
1. Ferguson-Stegall L, McCleave EL, Ding Z, Doerner PG, Wang B, Liao YH, Kammer L, Liu Y, Hwang J, Dessard BM, Ivy JL. Postexercise carbohydrate-protein supplementation improves subsequent exercise performance and intracellular signaling for protein synthesis. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2011;25:1210-1224.
2. Ferguson-Stegall L, McCleave EL, Ding Z, Doerner PG, Liu Y, Wang B, Dessard B, Kleinart M, Healy M, Lassiter G, Ivy JL. Aerobic exercise training adaptations are increased by post-exercise carbohydrate-protein supplementation [Abstract]. In: American College of Sports Medicine 58th Annual Meeting; 2011 May 31-Jun 4; Denver, CO. Poster nr D-29.
3. McCleave EL, Ferguson-Stegall L, Ding Z, Doerner PG, Liu Y, Kammer L, Wang B, Wang W, Hwang J, Ivy JL. Effects of aerobic training and nutritional supplementation on body composition, immune cells and inflammatory markers [Abstract]. IN: American College of Sports Medicine 58th Annual Meeting; 2011 May 31-Jun 4; Denver, CO. Poster nr C-24.


About the National Milk Mustache "got milk?"® Campaign - The Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP), Washington, D.C., is funded by the nation's milk processors, who are committed to increasing fluid milk consumption. The National Fluid Milk Processor Promotion Board, through MilkPEP, runs the National Milk Mustache "got milk?" Campaign, a multi-faceted campaign designed to educate consumers about the health benefits of milk. For more information, go to www.whymilk.com. Deutsch, A Lowe and Partners Company, is the creative agency for the National Milk Mustache "got milk?"® Campaign.

Read more: http://www.disabled-world.com/fitness/chocolate-milk.php#ixzz1WoyWHUB3

Hockey Canada - New Head Contact Rule 2011-12

Who's looking? - Try out Tip!

Written by RYan

Sunday, 10 April 2011 17:38

Great Information for Athletes -  Ryan's Blog Claude Ruel was a Montreal Canadiens coach for many years and when I played there he ran a hockey conditioning camp for us players in August. These "getting ready" for training camp sessions were open to current players and young prospects and became a peitri dish for me as I watched these younger players. Claude through an injury only had sight in one eye.  Claude could not see through his right eye and everyone knew this. So I quietly watched how the young players during these sessions would react to this. Claude would always have a good hard skate at the end of every ice time. During this skate Claude would stand in the middle of the ice pointed towards the one end of the ice. Claude would blow the whistle and that ment that all players would skate one complete lap behind both nets and then rest. The interesting thing was that Claude could only see if players were skating hard on one half of the ice. The half of the ice that his eye didn't see out of was where I focused my attention. I broke these Young players Into two groups. The One-Eye skating group or the Two-Eye skating group. Some of the young players would skate hard on the side of the ice that Claude could see and then coast or relax on the side of the ice that he couldn't see. It became an interesting study for me over the 9 years I played for the Habs. As you might imagine, few of the One-Eye skaters ever made our team. Extrinsic motivation, waiting for people on the outside to keep us in line very seldom gives us our desired dreams. Intrinsic motivators are key to a prolonged HUNGRY spirit. (New book on this subject HUNGRY coming out in 4 weeks.) Question of the day: Are you a One-Eye player or Two-Eye player? Thought to Ponder: "That which holds our attention Determines our action." William James

Bauer TotalOne Hockey Gloves Review

By Hockey Gear Review N, Hockey Gear Review
Monday August 22nd 2011


The Bauer TotalOne Senior hockey gloves are a big improvement on the One95 hockey gloves in terms of the look. They have an interesting design and can come in many different colour patterns. The TotalOnes are an anatomical fitting gloves. That means that they are supposed to follow the shape of your hand. It has a closer to the hand fit as opposed to the more boxy fitting 4 rolls. When you first look at them, you notice that they look more like hockey gloves than their predecessors, the One95’s.  Maybe it’s just me, but the One95 were not the best looking glove!
Most gloves try to increase the range of movement in the cuff and they usually try to achieve this by flaring out the cuff at the back of the hand or they reduce the size of the cuff. Both of these designs increase the risk of injury. The TotalOnes have increased the range of movement in the cuff by flaring it on the inside of the wrist side. I found it to be quite innovative and really comfortable.
Another design aspect that I think is smart is that Bauer has put synthetic leather in the high wear areas, such as the outside of the hand and in between the thumb and forefinger, and made the rest of the glove nylon. The nylon reduces the weight and the synthetic leather reduces the wear. Whether or not they have found the right combination remains to be seen. I will let you know after more long-term use. But for now, it seems to be a pretty good combination of nylon and synthetic leather.


The TotalOnes featuring split fingers except on the index finger that features a three-piece finger for greater control. I could feel that it was easier to grip my stick as compared to some gloves.  They also have plastic inserts for added protection. The gloves also feature dual density foam in combination with Bauer’s MAX-SORB protection. The palm features a nubuck palm with a gecko nash overlay. In combination, they felt great and were not too bulky. The nubuck was quite soft feeling and that is great for the feel of the stick. If you have too thick a palm, then you will have more trouble ‘feeling’ the stick.
The thumb is also unique to Bauers designs. This is an evolutionary step from the old lobster thumb design (featured in Nike gloves) from the past. The thumb has quite a large range of motion and is quite easy to move. The TotalOne thumb is a 3 piece thumb but also features a lock thumb and that is always a good thing.

As mentioned, the range of motion in the wrist is very good. You are not restricted and it never feels uncomfortable. Bauer has also introduced memory foam pad in the back of the hand. I didn’t really feel too much difference. It definitely feels different from the regular foam that is there but I am not quite sold on the memory part of it.   The anatomical shape is quite comfortable and is the right proportions for your hand. The glove mimics the shape of your hand, hence the comfort.  Gripping the stick is easy and you don’t notice it. I always say that the less you notice the equipment, the better a job it is doing for you!


The Bauer TotalOne is a high performance glove. But it also carries a high performance price tag. It will run you around $199 to get a pair on your hands! But if you like the finer things in life and can afford it; I would recommend these gloves to you. They provide a close fit and do not need to be broken in. They are very much a pay and play kind of glove. If you are cost conscience, then these are probably not the glove for you. Hockey Gear Review recommends these gloves to intermediate to high performance level hockey players.

Starting the School Year Strong

August 30, 2009 by Dennis Chighisola
"Coach Chic" - Great resource site for all players, parents and coaches!

Starting the School Year Strong
By Kat Hasenauer

Ideally, hockey teams want to come out strong at the start of a game’s first period. The better you come out from the locker room, the better chance you have given yourself to win the game.
The exact same thing can be said for the start of the academic year. Heading into the first weeks of school prepared and with the right mindset will give a young student athlete the best chance at success in a new school year.
As we begin a new school year, how can a young hockey player or his or her parents get into that positive academic mindset? Even if you have already had your first day of school, the following tips can be tried at any point during the school year — especially when you need a refocus.

Visualize the first day of school/first day of the week – Much like coaches use visualization techniques, asking their players to picture making a dynamic play or hitting a skill, visualization can be used to focus on school as a positive experience. If you are approaching the first day of school, take a few minutes to envision walking into your classroom for the first time, meeting your teacher for the first time, seeing your school friends again.
If school has already started, take a few minutes during the weekend to picture walking into school on Monday and having a positive experience with your teacher, acing a quiz, successful answering a question, eating lunch with friends. Framing the school experience as a positive one can go miles towards helping a student face daily challenges that could snowball into longer lasting problems.

Set achievable goals for the school year - Through elementary school, I struggled with spelling tests (which was a serious problem for a young writer in the non-computer age of the early- to mid-1980s). In fourth grade, I set a goal that I would not fail a spelling test all year. I definitely came close at times, but ended up not failing a spelling test all year. Just having stated that as a goal pushed ten year old me to devote more studying towards the subject, and affected my attitude heading into each quiz.
A goal doesn’t have to be massive. Set goals that you think you can actually attain, but that you will still have to expend effort at. It also should be one that will better your academic behavior for years to come. A goal should not be, “I will get an A+ on every single exam this year,” but more like, “I will study more in advance of every test this year,” or “I will write out my test schedule on a monthly calendar in my room, and I will pay attention to it every day to be more mindful of what is upcoming.”

Take advantage of time out of season - Some hockey leagues won’t practice or play for the first week or two of the school year, if not longer. Other hockey teams won’t begin until October or November. Relish that time to devote singularly to academics.
For older students, this will be a good time to attempt to read ahead for English and social studies classes. This is also a good time to fit in any school community service requirements or mandatory extracurricular attendance (for example, if your teacher says you must attend a play at some point during the school year and write a report on it, get it done now).
For younger students, take advantage of the extra time with educational games added onto homework time. Flash cards, family wide trivia games (I have always found the Brain Quest trivia cards, with decks suitable for several grade levels, a fun and convenient tool), reading for enjoyment, are all ways to supplement time without serious hockey practices.
If the season has already started, or if you never have time off from practices, take time on a weekend early on in the school year to make academic enrichment a priority.
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Parents, I know this might sound daunting, and maybe you’ll have to put off a household task or two to do so, but the above will be helpful to your young hockey player in the long run.
Taking the opportunity to start the school year right will help a student get out ahead and keep him or her better on pace with their classmates when in the thick of a hockey season. Creating balance in school and hockey lives doesn’t always mean that an exact balance exists everyday — devoting more time now to academics will help in those times when the balance is heavier in the hockey direction.

Smiling at the awesome advice Kat just provided us, I thought I’d mention that my grandfatherly advice to Anthony Chic — as he headed-off to college this weekend — was pretty close to what’s noted above.  Truth be known, I was a poor student in my earliest years, but a huge turn-around came when I started doing some of the things Kat suggests here.  Yes, a little prior prep goes a long, long ways to making us feel good about any new challenge.
– Dennis Chighisola