Thank you for visiting! Previews of many articles are available; Full InGoal Premium content is only available to our Members – join today! Already a member? Login here
IThe first person that Braden Holtby thanked publicly after winning the Stanley Cup was John Stevenson, the goalie coach turned sports psychologist he started working with at age 16.
“One guy I’d really like to say thanks to is John Stevenson back in Edmonton,” Holtby told CBC on the ice after hoisting the Cup in 2018. “I wouldn’t be here without him.”
To which Stevenson replies, “that’s crap,” returning credit to Holtby for the work he put in to improve his mental game, a process Stevenson said started with a simple breathing exercise after a 19-year-old Holtby was a surprise early cut from Canada’s World Junior team.
Stevenson first shared that story, and many others involving Holtby and other clients past and present, including Carter Hart, at a workshop with fellow goaltending mindset specialist Pete Fry last summer. It was loaded with helpful takeaways like this one that helped transform Holtby from a “mental midget” to one now widely regarded as mentally tough, so we wanted to share it here, along with one of the exercises that started that process for Holtby.
Consider this the start of twice-monthly entries from Stevenson designed to help our Premium Members improve their mental approach to the game, but for those who want to accelerate that development, Stevenson is now offering three options to work with him directly, and receive the same instruction currently being delivered to half a dozen NHL-contracted goalies. You can learn more about these limited-entry options here.
Become a Member to Read the Full Article
We’re working hard to bring you the best exclusive goaltending content whether you play goal, you are a coach, a parent of a goaltender, or a fan of the greatest position in sports.
All InGoal Premium members enjoy an ad-free experience.
Already a member? Log in
Comments
Let's talk goaltending!
We welcome your contribution to the comments on this and all articles at InGoal. We ask that you keep it positive and appropriate for all - this is a community of goaltenders and we're here for each other! See our comment policy for more information.
Great article and John Stevenson got insightful ideas but i’d just like to add that i have been using headspace for about a year and they actually provide non-guided meditations and Sport- specific meditations like dealing with anxiety and confidence + more.
That’s great Viggo, thanks for sharing. Well worth checking out!
Are you going to pull out your app in a practice or game? Don’t think so! You need to do this practice on your own to really transfer into a game and bonus there is no subscription fee!