PRAISE FOR HOCKEY CONFIDENCE
“I believe the mental part of hockey and positive thinking are very important. Isabelle has provided interesting and helpful insights.”
JAROME IGINLA , NHL, Colorado Avalanche, all-star, Canadian World Junior, World Cup, and World Championship team
“I feel confident that this book can be beneficial to various hockey players, coaches, and families of players who deal with adversity at all levels.”
GUY CHARRON , NHL, formerly Detroit Red Wings, former head coach of the Kamloops Blazers
“Isabelle’s book will be so helpful to players struggling with all the emotions of being on a team.”
MARK KACHOWSKI, NHL, formerly Pittsburgh Penguins
“The tools found in this book will help grow your confidence and equip you to be mentally tough in big-game situations.”
RILEY NASH , NHL, Boston Bruins
“When you can link the mind to the ability to perform, you create a winner. Izzy creates winners!”
DR. MATT JAMES , international speaker and educator
“Isabelle delivers rapid results with integrity and passion.”
DR. JOHN RYAN , communication and transformation trainer
“Isabelle Hamptonstone combines a sound foundation in human behavior with a keen awareness of the human condition . . . Her passion is contagious!”
DR. PATRICK ROSS SCOTT , trauma recovery specialist
For Jean-Pierre
Thank you for teaching me two powerful lessons:
Those who appear to have the most confidence are sometimes
those in most need of help to develop their confidence.
We never really know what another person is dealing with,
so always, whenever possible,
be kind.
It is always possible.
CONTENTS
Hockey Confidence: Your Key to Winning
Take Responsibility for Your Progress
Anxiety: One of the Greatest Tools for Your Success
Supercharge Your Self-Esteem
Turn Stress Nightmares into Miracles on the Ice
Self-Belief Stalling? Get It Back in Gear
Sharpen Your Focus and Raise Your Game
Overcome Mental Roadblocks to Win from Within
Refuel Your Mental Energy
Follow Your Own True North
Hockey: Your Confidence, Your Dreams, Your Results
FOREWORD
IN 2005, after coaching athletes of both genders, young and old, I became a coaching mentor. I’d played for Team Canada and won a Stanley Cup with the New York Rangers, and then another with the Dallas Stars. I’d had experience winning as a coach as well, and I was looking for another way to give back to the sport that had brought me so much joy, learning, and opportunity.
When my generation was young, a large part of parenting centered around the kitchen table. Typically, dads went to work and moms would be at home. A lot of positive conversations happened during the times when Mom would meet with her friends at home for coffee around the kitchen table. The moms shared ideas and mentored each other. When Dad got home, he and Mom discussed those ideas and supported each other to become better parents. We don’t have as many opportunities like that anymore.
Similar to parents, coaches require their own “kitchen table time.” As a mentor, I discovered just how challenging it is to get hockey coaches together to exchange ideas and brainstorm solutions to help their athletes develop confidence. In my personal experience, developing my own confidence affected my ability to be successful. The best help we can give our players is to provide them with the opportunity to develop their hockey confidence so that they can become their own best friend and develop the personal skills that will last them a lifetime!
This book focuses on the needs of players who are looking for tools and solutions for the challenge