“The magic bullet is that there is no magic bullet.” — Old running proverb
With the start of the high school season, I wanted to spend a few minutes talking about practice. And not the Allen Iverson, “Practice? Man, we’re talking about practice” version, either. Because, in reality, while the former NBA All-Star guard got a lot of play with his “too cool to practice” diatribe, he wasn’t being completely honest. That’s because Iverson, before he reached NBA stardom, had practiced his craft endlessly.
In fact, he probably practiced as much, if not more, than most of his contemporaries. That’s how undersized basketball players like Iverson and Isiah Thomas and Steve Nash become great. So I’m going to take a much more positive approach to practice.
If you’re going to play sports, practice is a fundamental part of the game. If you want to be any good, it’s absolutely essential. Years ago, I attended a running camp outside of Boone, North Carolina. Woefully out of shape at the time, I asked the lead coach if there was any way I could “fast track” my fitness to get up to speed a little more quickly. That’s where I sadly was informed: “The magic bullet is that there is no magic bullet.” Former pro mountain biker Peter Webber Jr. had told me pretty much the same thing years earlier: “Whatever fitness you’ve got in the week leading up to race day, that’s the fitness you’ll have on race day.”
In short, there are no shortcuts to prime-time performance. The way you play in a game, outside of the occasional gaffe, is usually determined by how you spent the weeks and months beforehand. Did you get into the best shape possible? Did you work on your weaknesses as well as your strengths? Did you communicate effectively with coaches and teammates to make sure everyone is on the same page? All of these are important to putting forth your best effort, and the team’s best effort, on game day. And that means being dedicated to your training and, yes, practice.
Unfortunately, far too many athletes fall into the trap of taking shortcuts. According to TrueSports, a shortcut is “a route that is shorter or more direct than the one usually taken, or a way of saving time and effort in doing something. Every day in life we face temptations of possible shortcuts and opportunities to get somewhere with less effort. Efficiency will certainly make the journey easier, but make no mistake — anything worthwhile takes diligence and hard work.”
As True Sports points out, that’s a reality in every facet of life. “If you want to be a writer, you must write. If you want to be a successful athlete, you must train. Sometimes athletes may take shortcuts like skipping a tough practice, taking medications that are not prescribed to them, or they may not give 100 percent in a workout. They may even turn to performance-enhancing drugs to try and add muscle quicker or recover faster. Typically, athletes who live ethically with solid values will make the appropriate decision not to take shortcuts and recognize that they do not have to ‘cheat you’ to ‘beat you.’ ”
Two-time Olympic swimming gold medalist Peter Vanderkaay told True Sports that shortcuts can range from missing practice or not giving 100 percent when given the chance in a game or practice to taking medications or supplements not prescribed by a doctor or trainer. Vanderkaay said he’s watched many teammates and opponents slack off in practice by taking shortcuts, or not completing a workout. While it might have felt nice to quit early in the moment, it ultimately hurt them at the big events because they didn’t put in the requisite time honing their craft.
Yet practice often gets a bad rap. And there are a many reasons why. The first culprit is poorly planned and poorly executed practices. Goalies rarely benefit from bad practices.
I’ve written often about the machine-gun style of shooting drills, where goalies are treated like targets in a shooting gallery and see 20 pucks for every teammate standing in line. It’s just nuts, and a recipe for creating bad habits. Plus, these types of shooting drills don’t allow goalies to follow the rebound, which is an incredibly important habit to develop.
Former U.S. soccer goalkeeping great Shep Messing, who played with Pele on the New York Cosmos, used to joke to his Harvard coach that “I only have so many saves in this body. Do you want me to use them up in practice, or save some for the games.” Messing was half right. A good coach will make sure his goalies get enough work at practice without running them into the ground.
Conversely, when you’re suited up and on the ice, your mindset ought to be that it’s time to get to work. That doesn’t mean drills need to be drudgery. The best players, regardless of position, find fun and laughter in the hard work. But don’t let a good-natured disposition undermine your intensity.
Ask the teammates of the great goalies, and you’ll learn that these legends absolutely hated to get scored on practice. Every goal was an affront to them. Some may have been more serious than others, but they all brought an intensity that helped them constantly sharpen their game.
So make the most of practice, and your time away from the ice. Take care of your body. Eat well, get proper rest, stay fit. Those efforts will pay off on game day.
Brion O’Connor is a Boston-based writer and owner of Inspired Ink Communications. He is also a longtime hockey coach and player, specializing in goaltending instruction. Learn more at TheGoalieGuru.com.
feedback@hockeyjournal.com
