How to build your resilience

Resilience is a set of attitudes, behaviours, and responses to short or long-term adversities. In hockey, it refers to a player’s ability to withstand challenges, setbacks, and pressure, both on and off the pitch.

 The Principles:

1. Attitude– “It is on you to have a great attitude.”
   1. Your attitude is a choice.
   2. Positive anything is better than negative nothing.
   3. What you think, you can do is what will happen.
   4. Embrace the challenge view the tough times as opportunities for growth.
      Your attitude defines if you will say “Why me?” or “Why not me?”
2. Belief– Belief is contagious. “If you put in the work, the results will come.”
   1. You have to believe in yourself and your team, ask … Do you believe that you can figure it out?
      If you don’t believe you can then you won’t.
3. Preparation– Once you have great attitude and belief, preparation is where success begins. 3 questions to ask:
   1. What did you learn from your setbacks?
   2. How can you change that?
   3. How will it be different this time?
      Learn from your mistakes. The strength of the you and the team lies in its preparation.
4. Execution– Even with the best game plan in the world, if you don’t execute, it doesn’t matter.”
   1. It means have a plan.
   2. It means communicate the plan.
   3. It means hold everyone accountable.
      Be detailed and execute with purpose. Execution is everything.

Making the most of a bad situation:

When a challenging moment arrives players can use the following steps to help themselves overcome it. 

1. Identify what you can and cannot change.
   1. If the situation can be changed, take immediate, necessary actions.
2. Adjust to things that cannot be changed.
   1. If it can’t be changed then work on changing your emotional response – control your negative emotions – do not react until you have had time to think – be flexible
   2. Recognize that struggle should not put you off your goals.
   3. Talk It Out, express your feelings to the coach or teammates
   4. Learn how to accept, “relax, calm your mind”
3. Create a plan so you are prepared next time
   1. Set Realistic Goals – use the coach to help – goals give direction and purpose.
   2. Celebrate Progress every win is a win, it builds confidence.
4. Encourage Adaptability – roll with it develop Flexibility builds resilience.
5. Develop Self-Confidence – remember your past successes
6. Use your team as a support vehicle (those players who are positive only please

Some further points:

1. Truly resilient people move forward despite the struggles and pressures that come their way
2. Whilst being resilient won’t make things better the learning and information provided will change you for the better.
3. You do not have to win/overcome every struggle, there will always be “that one battle”
4. If you cannot win every one then focus on doing the right thing 80% of the time

In summary:

1. Attitude shapes actions:
   Thoughts, emotions, and behaviour are the three components of attitude.  Cope with and process what you are seeing and feeling.
2. It’s on you:
   Take personal responsibility for your reaction and journey.
3. Think flexibly:
   Attitudes should be flexible, accept that struggle has occurred. Identify what is and isn’t under the player’s control to change. Try out different responses to overcome the struggle.
4. It is in the doing:
   Resilient behaviours come down to action even if they are uncomfortable or unpleasant.
5. Shared Struggle:
   Each journey is different, share what you find tough and ask for help.

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