PHD x Fortitude Mental Performance - Introduction

ABOUT
Introduction

Good Morning Perez Hockey Development Community!

We are Fortitude Mental Performance. 

Over the next few months, we are partnering with PHD through newsletter and workshop opportunities that are designed to educate, inspire, and train you on the mental skills and tools that athletes use to dominate at the highest levels of sport. 

You may be asking yourself, well how much of the game is mental?

In a recent exercise with the Philadelphia Flyers, the teams’ sport psychologist put that very question to the players at a team meeting. “What percentage of the game do you think is mental?” he asked, “Raise your hand when I get to the percentage you think is the best answer.”

There were no hands raised at 30 percent, 40 percent, or 50 percent.

A few went up at 60 percent, a few more at 70 percent, and the majority of the players raised their hands at 80 percent.

With the best players in the world recognizing that 80% of the game is mental, yet so few athletes spend any time training their minds. This gap and the outcomes of athletes training their minds is what inspires our work. Our philosophy is to support the athletes we work with to persevere, achieve, and thrive by implementing customized programs that enhance well-being and performance. 

We all know the importance of mental health. Fortitude wants to take this a step further by training athletes on how to utilize their minds to improve how well they play on the ice. 

With over 500 games played and 20+ seasons as a coach in the NHL, Kevin McCarthy has experienced it all when it comes to performing at one’s best at the highest level as a player, captain, and coach. He echoed that Flyers players in saying:  

“Mental preparation is one area not stressed enough. So much time is spent on conditioning, both on and off the ice. We do the same drills and variations again and again, and almost nothing is done to improve a player’s mental game. Yet when we talk about breakdowns, rarely if ever is it because of the player’s physical attributes. Almost always, it has to do with mental lapses. Players are not ready to play. They’re not focused. They are not in the right positions or where they’re supposed to be. Learning how to mentally prepare, learning to anticipate, learning to play the game in your head is important in getting an edge and reacting consistently well in the game. This is especially true in the playoffs.”

Training your mind is a crucial part of being a great athlete. It deserves attention in the same way you train your muscles in the gym and skills on the ice. We are excited to provide you with opportunities over the next few weeks to learn about how to train your mind and participate in exercise sessions with us.

We hope to see you at our first live workshop on May 29th at 6:00 pm MST.

Be Easy,

Ryan & Brian

Fortitude Mental Performance.

If you are interested in learning more about mental performance training and the work we do with athletes visit us at fortitude.coach and do not hesitate to reach out!

DISCLAIMER
The views, information, or opinions expressed in the Perez Hockey Development newsletter are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of my employers. The primary purpose of this newsletter is to educate and inform.