Any draft day can be emotional.Heck, the whole draft year can get the best of athletes.As an athlete in the midst of climbing the ranks - the draft can become all encompassing.From where you are sitting as the athlete - it can seem bigger than what it actually is.Too many athletes get consumed in the unknown, the predictions, and the expectations - this results in 3 common challenges: Deterioration of your mindset and performanceWhich can be very costly during these crucial years of your career. Stress & worry about your careerInstead of just enjoying the journey, which is a key to performing at your best. Slowing down your developmentYou end up too focused on short-term results and overlook playing the long-game. We work with a lot of players during draft years for those exact reasons. Here are the 3 key steps to keep a healthy perspective and handle the "draft": STEP 1: Take a Critical Lens to the Draft Be sure to use a “Critical Lens” when thinking about the draft. It is not a make or break moment in your career like you might think. The draft might be important, but the results (positive or negative) DO NOT predict the trajectory of your career.It’s just a day, it’s just a result, it does not determine your future. For example, only 60% of OHL first round picks ever get drafted into the NHL. Positivity Bias One of the biggest challenges is all the positivity bias players receive about the draft. Everyone is going to want to tell you how likely you are to get drafted or how you are going to get selected. No one wants to be a “negative Nancy”.Even the teams drafting you will say things like “yeah for sure we will take you in the third round if you are available” then BAM - change of mind in the midst of it.So it’s important to take a critical lens to all this positivity bias. This does not mean to put yourself down but rather keep a healthy perspective on the range of results.The mistake most players make is adopting this positivity bias and then putting all this internal pressure on themselves.If you start telling yourself “I should get drafted in the top 3 rounds”, well now you will feel the need to meet that, and the reality is you can’t predict when you are going to go and every year many players go later in the draft than they were “predicted”. STEP 2: Own Your Story & Move Forward It is important to OWN your story, regardless of what happens.If you are happy with your selection, don’t get complacent and take your foot off the gas.Getting the result you wanted doesn’t ensure future success.Yes, you can celebrate your achievement and own your success, but the work is not over, you need to keep developing.If you are NOT happy with your selection, don’t get demoralized and lose motivation.Not getting [...]

I (Dr. Cassidy Preston) started hockey when I was 2 years old.Since then I've...• Played 10 years of juniors, college, and pro hockey• Spent 12 years in University to earn my PhD• Built one of the Largest Mental Performance Coaching Firms in North AmericaHere are the 4 biggest lessons I've learned: LESSON 1: Stay Connected to the Love of the Game As a hockey player I got caught in the results trap over and over again.I was obsessed with points and worried about what others thought (e.g. coaches, parents, teammates, scouts). But this caused a slew of challenges.I had yo-yo confidence as I tied my confidence to results.I got anxious and held my stick too tight - worrying about results.I struggled with resilience - I'd beat myself up and go into downward spirals after negative results. The mistake was confusing my goals to achieve x, y & z results with my why.Why you play the game is not the results.Why you play the game is about the intrinsic drivers:GrowthExperienceConnectionsThis is the key to enjoying the journey of sport & life. LESSON 2: Be Patient, Adaptable, & Creative I've naturally been prone to:Rush to achieve resultsStubbornly stick to a planThink logically about solutionsThese traits have their benefits and have served me well. But they can also be very costly.I've intentionally become more patient, adaptable and creative.Without a doubt these traits have been invaluable to my success as an entrepreneur.When my clients integrate these traits into their mental preparation - I see the profound impact it has on their athletic careers.Looking back I would have benefited as an athlete from being more:Patient with my careerAdaptable based on my results and feedback from coachesCreative with how I mentally prepared and played the gameThe magic lies within finding the balance between being:Patient and EagerAdaptable and RelentlessCreative and Logical LESSON 3: Embracing the Power of No Ambitious people love to say yes, but this can lead to being overwhelmed and being scattered.We end up focusing and working on things that are NOT the top priority.We lose sight of what matters most because we end up chasing all the shiny objects. Flow is the result of finding the right balance between challenge and capabilities.When we are stressed and overwhelmed, we have too many challenges to overcome. We have said YES too much. We are focusing on too many things.The solution to get back to flow is to say No!As an athlete this is often about simplifying your priorities. Get a clear game plan that is practical and personalized for you. I see the benefits athletes get from doing this daily.Personally, this is the most impactful lesson I've had as an entrepreneur.I used to have 5 or more projects on the go - juggling from task to task.Now I focus on 1 priority at a time, get 1 project done, then move to the next one. Building momentum 1 thing at a time. LESSON 4: Build Your Team Being a lone wolf was a [...]

The outline of my first book is complete! -Learn about some of the great insights I've gained while starting the writing process below in the summary below. The working title is - Play with Confidence: A New Way for Athletes to Mentally Prepare The purpose of the book is to challenge the status quo on mental preparation and question the ‘accepted’ ways of thinking about confidence.  It will debunk the fluffy clichés, cookie-cutter strategies, and ‘old-school’ beliefs entrenched in the sport culture. If you dare to be different and embrace the new ways of thinking, then you will play with confidence, enjoy the journey, and achieve Consistent Elite Performance. Let me know which chapter you are looking forward to the most:  1) Challenge the Status Quo & Dare to Be Different Break through the limiting beliefs entrenched in sports culture Debunk the fluffy clichés and cookie-cutter strategies To get results, you have to be willing to do the work 2) Stop Yo-Yo Confidence Self identifying as having a confidence problem creates a self-perpetuating cycle The word confidence is tainted & too associated with results Focus on owning your capabilities and being your own best ally 3) Build Momentum & Snowball Confidence Stop giving power to external factors like your teammates, coaches, or opponents  True momentum comes from within - decide to be the spark plug  Become a momentum builder in the face of adversity - aka harness grit and resilience 4) Self-Talk: Name It to Tame It Learn to be aware, identify, & understand your inner thoughts and feelings  Clear your mental blocks by confronting & embracing your limiting beliefs Create a powerful focus by clarifying a clear set of priorities 5) Create a Confident Identity - aka an Alter Ego Take control of your inner narrative and fully tap into your most confident self Identify your key moments of impact and how you want to show up Create a personalized persona that clicks and works for you 6) Blockout the Noise with a Reset Routine Acceptance - Embrace the noise and play free Breathing - Stay relaxed, centered, and in the moment Commitment - Set a clear intention for the next play 7) Redefine Success & Develop Your Personal Scorecard Protect your mind from making unhealthy comparisons or obsessing about results Redefine success based on your values and the things within your control Use your scorecard daily for an unshakeable sense of confidence 8) Game Day Mental Preparation Routines Avoid mental burnout on game days by creating a personalized routine Personalize your imagery script to set clear and powerful intentions Plan to cope with stressors to stay in the moment and perform under pressure 9) Specific Problems & Solutions Worrying about Scoring or Points - A counterintuitive approach that will help you play free and score more goals Fear of Mistakes - Flip the risk and focus on optimizing your impact on the game Overthinking with the Puck - Stop ‘thinking’ and start doing [...]

There are a lot of challenges when it comes to making the jump to junior hockey.As a mental performance coach, my job is to help players have the right mindset to perform at their best when it matters most.The concepts and strategies I teach are primarily focused on directly helping their on-ice performance, but there are a lot of challenges away from the ice as well.The politics of agents, coaches, teams, leagues, and the NHL draft can cause a lot of internal noise.I know a lot about the game from my own playing days, and I talk to players about these challenges daily - but I also know I’m not an agent or advisor.My role is more about helping the player stay centred as they navigate their career.The cross-over between agent and mental performance coach is unique, so a while back I recorded a series of podcasts with NHL Certified Agent Michael O’Rafferty.We covered some key challenges that hockey players navigate as they climb the ranks.The episodes include a great blend of both the Mental Performance side of staying centered and the Agent side of making educated and strategic decisions.Check out the 4 episodes below: Episode 1: When Should You Get an Agent?One of the first early decisions is about getting agent. We unpack all the key questions to consider when making this decision. Episode 2: The CHL vs NCAAThere are two distinct routes hockey players can take. In this episode, we breakdown the benefits and drawbacks of each so players can be more informed when the time comes to make this decision. Episode 3: Going to the Next Level vs Staying Back to DominateEvery jump in hockey has it challenges - whether it is going from minor to junior, tier II to tier I, or university to professional. This episode breaks down key considerations to make so that you are not trying to climb the ladder too fast but you also are not missing a good opportunity to grow. Episode 4: How to Handle Conflict with your CoachAs you climb the ranks there will be conflicts with your coach. You might not see eye to eye or feel you are not being treated fairly. Chris De Piero and I did a whole season of Beyond the X's and O's called the Declaration of War Against the Old-School Coaching Mentality to help fight against the limiting beliefs and common coaching practices we see and hear about daily. But this episode more directly speaks to how you, as a player, can navigate your challenges with the coach in a tough situation. I hope you find these podcasts helpful.

This video will walk you through how to mentally bounce back from a sports injury. Getting injured is one of the biggest challenges in sport. So having the mental strategies to overcome this adversity will help you: Stay motivated despite not being able to play or train within the sport you love Have the resilience & grit to persevere through the recovery process Remain confident in your abilities and trust yourself as you return to play Focus on being a great teammate and becoming a better leader as you look to contribute to the team in other ways The bottom line is that when you return - you will be able to perform like you have not missed a beat. Heck, when athletes apply the strategies I’m about to cover - they often come back even better than they were before they were injured. Unfortunately, most athletes don’t see the opportunity or silver lining that being injured presents. The Silver Lining of of Being Injured Big challenges equal big growing opportunities. Injuries are a great mental challenge, so they are a great mental growing opportunity. No one wants to be injured, but when it happens you might as well make the most out of it. One of the greatest benefits is using the extra time and energy to strengthen your mental game. But instead, athletes will commonly make these mistakes that prevent them from bouncing back from a sport injury: Mentally check-out, hit the pause button and just wait until they can return to their sport Play the victim - they blame, complain, & make excuses Focus on what they can’t control and can’t do Wallow in self-pity However, it doesn’t have to be that way - if you use the strategies outlined below, you will not only bounce back stronger - you will be making the most out of your time! Here's how, step by step: Strategy 1: Reflect On Your Mindset Daily It is so easy to get caught up on what you can’t do and all the things not going your way. So you want to focus on what you can do - mental training, being a leader, rehab, catching up on other areas of life. Then you need to reflect on how well you are focusing on what you can do and making the most out of it versus being negative - blaming, complaining, and focus on what I can’t do. This is not about being positive - that won’t work. Instead, it is about staying centred or neutral. Getting this daily percentage to 95% will build incredible amounts of resilience, and focus on what you can control which will undoubtedly benefit you when you return to playing. Strategy 2: ‘Scuba Dive’ to Make Progress The hardest part of being injured is watching everyone else continue to train and compete. Playing your sport is like surfing, but when injured you are not able to surf - so you are just stuck [...]

Dr. Cassidy Preston Founder & Mental Performance Coach I played my minor hockey in North Bay, a small city in Northern Ontario, Canada, and, like many kids, my emotions got the best of me at times. I’d slam my stick, doubt myself, get frustrated, and overthink. I went into slumps, I took retaliation penalties, and rode the emotional roller coaster of highs and lows. However, I worked hard and I was fortunate enough to go in the 4th round of the OHL draft and went on to play 5 years of junior hockey, have a short stint in Pro hockey, and finished my career with 5 years of University hockey. Throughout my career, I was focused on outcomes (e.g., points) and I worried about what others thought (e.g., coaches, parents, teammates, scouts) which often caused me to tense up, get derailed, and underperform. For example, in my last year of junior hockey, I put up 74 points in 49 games. But in 20 of those games I didn’t get a single point, while in the other 29 games, I almost always got a point in the first period. The lesson being: that when I didn’t get success early in games, I’d start on a downward spiral of getting frustrated and tense, then I’d play worse and get even more frustrated and so on. The hardest year of my career was my first year in the OHL. I was extremely excited that I had made it to the OHL and I had big expectations for myself. I can still clearly remember being on the starting lineup in the season opener. But things didn’t go the way I expected. I didn’t get on the score sheet and fell down the lineup quickly. I started worrying more about points - this worry lead to tension and holding my stick too tight which made it even harder to get on the score sheet. Things got worse around the 15 game mark into the season. I remember talking to the coach and he told me that since I still had no points it was going to be hard for me to get much playing time moving forward. I was healthy scratched 34 games that season and when I did play I’d only get a handful of shifts. On one road trip up to Ottawa from Toronto I was all excited to get back in the lineup but come game time, I didn’t get one shift. I sat on the bench the whole game! In short, I finished the season with 0 points and I was devastated. It was incredibly hard to have any confidence as a hockey player or as a person. I had anticipated this season to be a high point in my career, but instead it felt like hitting rock bottom. I was overwhelmed with disappointment and truly considered quitting hockey. However, I was able to overcome these adversities and many more [...]

Michael Kostka was cut from his AAA team and was not drafted to the OHL nor NHL, but he persevered and he finally cracked the NHL at 27 years old. His story is filled with great mental game lessons - such as how to: Own Your Story Play with Confidence Deal with the Grind of Professional Sports Adversity is a part of life - we can’t avoid it - but we don’t have to face it alone. Leaning on others who have been there before is a powerful way to find the inner strength to persevere. This was my (Dr. Cassidy Preston) first podcast episode ever recorded, and it is still one of my favourites.

You wouldn’t build a house without a blueprint – and in the same manner you shouldn’t work on your mental game without doing an assessment.Here are the 3 steps to using the CEP Assessment to build your Mental Game blueprint:STEP 1: Identify the Mental Skills to BuildOne of the biggest problems with working on your mental game is that it’s hard to make it tangible - so in our assessment we break it down into 7 Mental Skills to make it clear what you are working on.We assess each skill by reflecting on the percentage of time and energy you spend in that state compared to when you are not.For example, resilience is based on how well you stay centred, embrace challenges, and bounce back from adversity versus having the emotional roller coaster of highs and lows, getting derailed, and going into downward spirals. This image breaks down the 7 Main Mental Skills you need to get into the zone: Note that all the skills are inter-related and improving one will improve the others.STEP 2: Clarify the Mental Blocks to ClearThis step is where we uncover any limiting beliefs that might be holding you back. By pinpointing the mental blocks to clear you can improve your mental game much more quickly.The most common mental block is the Results Trap. An example question would be - How much do you agree with the statement: Winning is what makes sports fun?The higher the rating, the more likely there is a Mental Block to clear in that category.The questions here are like trick questions because there could be some truth within the statement - it doesn’t mean that winning is not fun.But when an athlete or high-performer associates all their joy to the results, then they are holding onto a belief system or narrative that has lost touch with their love of the game. The image below breaks down the 7 Main Mental Blocks that may prevent you from getting into the zone: STEP 3: Personalize the Mental Tools AccordinglyNow that you a good foundation set for your blueprint - the last step is to get bring in the fundamental tools and personalize them accordingly.This is where you start to take action and bridge concepts to strategies. You need to embrace the creative process and find what works for you.We have a full toolbox of tools, but here is the summary of the 4 fundamentals: Inspired by Todd Herman’s work – this process is about identifying what it means to be in the zone vs in your own head. The mental skills prioritized in your assessment help curate your best-self. Alternatively the mental blocks you need to clear will help inform your worst-self. When you do the process effectively you end up with a unique persona that clicks and works for you - check out this short video to learn more. This is one of the most powerful tools – it helps activate the [...]

The field of applied sport psychology has a wide variety of titles associated with it - including Sport Psychologist, Mental Performance Consultant, Mental Skills Coach, Peak Performance Coach etc. The training and education of practitioners in this field can also drastically vary from PhDs to someone without an undergraduate degree. But what makes someone great at this work is their ability to connect and guide their clients to achieve results. The more effective and efficient the practitioner is, the more in demand they will be. Sport Psychology is Still Growing The reality is the study and practice of sport psychology became popular in the 1960’s with the formation of International Society of Sport Psychology and many other governing bodies following. So the field has grown significantly in the past few decades - developing evidence-based approaches that deliver results. As such sport psychology has become a more accepted practice within athlete development. But many practitioners are still using fluffy and cookie cutter strategies. The key to effectively helping a client get results is getting to the root of the problem - then developing personalized and practical strategies that work for them. Mental Health vs Mental Performance One of the other challenges in the field has been the overlap between mental health and mental performance. The best way to think of these fields is that they are two similar and interrelated continuums. For example, it is possible that someone is high on the Mental Performance continuum but low on the Mental Health continuum - however, the mental health struggles will eventually catch up and they won’t be able to sustain their mental performance. The field of Mental Health has generally been about helping people that are struggling (eg. anxiety and depression) and getting them back to a good state. While the field of Mental Performance is more about helping someone go from good to great. Sport psychology is generally more focused on the mental performance side. However, there are clinical mental health professionals that are licensed to diagnose and treat mental health, that also work on mental performance. My belief is that if you effectively work on your mental performance, then you are also proactively ensuring optimal mental health - although they are different, they are interrelated. But to be clear, most Mental Performance Professionals are not clinical therapists and are not licensed to diagnose and treat mental health. This does not mean they are not effective at what they do, but it does mean if you are looking for someone to diagnose and treat a mental illness that you should work with a licensed mental health professional. So what is the difference between a sport psychologist and a mental performance coach? These labels are often used synonymously, from society’s perspective a mental performance coach could also be called a sport psychologist. However, these labels do matter in different parts of the world. For example, the designation of Psychologist is a protected term in Ontario - so a practitioner based here [...]

Having an older brother meant I was practically born in the rink. There was nothing else my brother cared about, it was all about hockey, hockey, and some more hockey. In classic younger brother form, I copied everything he did. Although my brother and I bonded over sports, we were different in almost every other way. I was quite scrawny, my brother was much bigger. I was loud and energetic, my brother was quiet and calm. I loved school and learning, my brother wanted to stay as far away from school as possible. I was average at hockey, my brother was much better. As the years went by it was evident that I either had to gain weight or I wouldn’t be able to compete in Jr A. I decided to give it a go and follow an intense diet and workout protocol. Unfortunately, I didn’t gain much weight or strength at all and dealt with many injuries from mismanaging my training. Simply put, it did not go as planned. I was decent, but definitely not good enough. So, I chose to shift my focus to school and find a new way to succeed in life. The human experience naturally fascinated me, so it was a ‘no-brainer’ to go all in on Psychology. But my brother, however, did the opposite. At the age of 16 he joined a Jr team from an unsanctioned league. He spent two years there and then went on to play three more seasons in the OJHL. By the end of his junior hockey career he went through it all - the politics, the injuries, the problems with coaches and teammates, the extremely long bus trips, the crappy post game meals, and worst of all - a broken back one month after committing to an NCAA team. Against all medical advice, he returned to play within three months. But when he arrived at college, he started in the stands as a healthy scratch. After all that, he wasn’t even getting the opportunity to play. This is where my brother's and my journey collide. He was struggling to get into his NCAA lineup and I was enrolled in a specialized psychology program on track for graduate school in Clinical Psychology. Not knowing that Sport Psychology was a professional field of study (it just wasn’t a thing when I played), I started to use what I was learning to help my brother improve his ability to remain focused, composed, resilient, and confident through the ups and downs of his first NCAA season. My brother started to see results from our work together, and soon after, I was sharing concepts and strategies with the whole team. This is when it first dawned on me that there must be a field of study within Psychology focused on sport. Fast forward several years since then, I have completed an undergraduate degree in Psychology, as well as a Master’s and Doctoral degree in Sport & Exercise Psychology at York [...]