Shaking off the bad/stupid mistakes?

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

Let me preface this with a little background.

I moved here from Ireland where I'd never skated, fell in love with hockey. I signed up for a learn to play league 3 years ago, played 1 season, then we had some greencard issues, so hockey money became legal fees.

I started playing again summer of 07, in a novice league. I was clearly the weak link on all teams that I've played on.

I've been working on skating more than anything else. I'm with a new team, in a new rink this season (Because the rink where the caps practice have the worst run beer leagues in the world I think).

Anyway, this season, I finally feel like I'm no longer the weak link. I'm contributing, and just had a 3 game point streak (very unusual considering my total points before this season amounted to 8)

I'm a big body (6'3'', 240-250) too.

Anyway, last night, we played a great game as a team, as did our opponents. Just a great game to be part of, until 2.42 left in the third.

We are in our defensive zone, puck comes toward me, I whiff on the clearing, other team pick up the puck, slot it home, game over 3-2 is the final score.

As I said, I usually hadn't taken the ice in the last few minutes of games before, because I was a liability, whereas now, I feel like I can help out.

Also, our goalie played one of the best games I've ever seen, he was fantastic, so I feel doubly shite.

I know it's only beer league, and shake if off and all that crap, but it's really annoying me today, both for letting the team down, and for the sheer stupidity of my mistake.

What do you do to shake off a game losing mistake.

To make matters worse, the guy on beer duty was a no show, and the game finished after midnight so you can't buy beer in the stores in VA.

It went from feeling like it was a great game to just depressing in 3 minutes

[hudsonhockey22 0]

Just gotta let it go.. your teammates wont get mad. it coulda been anyone out there that whiffed. im also sure that someone earlier in the game missed a shot they should have scored from your team. or what about the other two goals that your opponent scored. dont feel like its your fault. i know its hard at first, and heat of the moment, but when you get your next big win, youll shake it off in no time.

[interpathway 9]

Agreed, it probably won't feel better until your team makes up for it with the next win. Keep skating hard and keep that head up, we all screw up.

BTW, what VA rink are you playing out of?

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

Agreed, it probably won't feel better until your team makes up for it with the next win. Keep skating hard and keep that head up, we all screw up.

BTW, what VA rink are you playing out of?

Playing down in Fairfax Ice Arena this season.

Locker rooms are tiny, but the ice is good, and the league is very well organized

[mgoblue 0]

Write your mistake down on a piece of paper, fold it up, and wedge it in the cuff of your glove.

Every time you're about to step on the ice for a shift next game, give the cuff a little tap - be mindful of how pissed you were at yourself - and go rectify your mistake. Concentrate that feeling into balls-to-the-wall play.

After the game, throw the paper out and move on.

[Johnny Law 0]

The biggest issue I see is that you can't buy beer in Va after midnight. :D

Though I live in PA where it's 10pm.

Seriously I wouldn't worry about it too much, everyone from the lowest beer league guy to the mega stars of the NHL make that mistake that ends up costing the team the game. Patrick Stefan ring a bell ?

You can always make up for it later, and I've found that as far as mistakes are concerned most beer leaguers have pretty short memories.

[chippa13 1844]

Like I always say after a game, "Beer doesn't judge". Think about the mistake only so long as it takes to figure out what the right thing would have been and then focus on doing that. In this regard, it is similar to the mental aspect of golf. When stepping up to a shot you should be thinking about a positive result and not a negative one, because 9 times out of 10, if the negative is in your head then that is what will happen.

[CapsFan 5]

The biggest issue I see is that you can't buy beer in Va after midnight. :D

Though I live in PA where it's 10pm.

Seriously I wouldn't worry about it too much, everyone from the lowest beer league guy to the mega stars of the NHL make that mistake that ends up costing the team the game. Patrick Stefan ring a bell ?

You can always make up for it later, and I've found that as far as mistakes are concerned most beer leaguers have pretty short memories.

Exactly, everybody makes mistakes. No one expects you to be perfect. Next time you are in that situation, make sure you clear the zone and all will be well.

[althoma1 575]

Don't feel too bad...I've played since I was a kid and still make stupid mistakes in Beer League. In the heat of the moment we all make stupid mistakes sometimes - it's just the more elite players tend to make less of them. The last game I was in we had a one goal lead with less than a minute left. The other team had the goalie pulled and had the extra attacker out - I picked off a pass (Good), but then proceeded to try to clear it out to another of our players straight up the middle (a very basic minor hockey concept is to clear it on the boards...up the middle is a difinite no no) who was just over the blue line...it hit the back of a defending players leg at the blue line and just stayed in. It was then gloved out of the air (looked like a glove pass to me, but the ref didn't call it) and shot by another player through a screen to tie it up with 12 seconds left.

There were many better options available to me - I could've tried to skate it out myself and if I was in serious danger of turning over the puck chipped it out off the boards. I could've banked it hard out on the boards and hoped my other player got to it for a shot at the open net or attempted to bank it down into the net. I could've tried to lob it high and out (possibly into the empty net) or I could've skated over to the boards and tried to pin it. I did none of those things and felt pretty bad when the game was tied and we lost in overtime - I know better, but made the wrong choice in the heat of the moment.

All you can do is do your best to avoid that type of error in the future. Others make mistakes too (on most plays it's a combination of errors that lead to goals)...actually in my case my teammate was cheating out of our zone hoping for the pass for an empty net goal when he should've been inside the D-man. If he was inside the D-man I may have had an easy outlet pass (but I kniow I still had other options and all I can do is learn from the mistake and make better decisions going forward)

[Master P 0]

Dont let it bother you. Just relax and remember that beer league is all for fun. I dont even want to remember all the mistakes I have made!

[Jarick 5]

What I do is after every game I write down the score, my stats, and all that. I then write three things I did well and three things I want to do better next game. Before the next game, I review those, and I focus on them.

Check out the book Hockey Tough. It's got a lot of great mental exercises to even out your playing. Without over complicating things, you can really only keep one thing in mind at a time, and let your instincts take over. So for me it's playing well defensively in my zone (cover my point man as well as I can while staying low enough to take away passes), keeping myself open in the neutral zone, and being strong in the boards and corners in their zone.

[S.Gagne12 1]

Hi,

Just forget it! The earlier you´re not thinking about it anymore, the earlier you can focus on your next game.

It´s still in your head but think positive and keep up the good work.

Prepare well for your next game keep in mind what your focus is and let it go.

Wish you the very best.

Bye

[Master P 0]

Thats a good idea Jarick. I always thought it would be a good idea for everyone in the locker room to say what they did good and bad after a game.

[eric42434224 1]

I seriously doubt anyone on your team is going to hold a grudge. They are likely disappointed, but that is natural. If your team gives you a shitty time about it, and doesnt let it go, you are on a shitty team. The problem is how hard you are on yourself. Even the best players in all levels make mistakes (Buckner?)....you should chock it up to a learning experience and move on. If you feel that you need to do more, practice to help you with what you did wrong, and be aware of it so you wont make the same mistake again. And learn to put things in perspective, and try not to be so hard on yourself.

My goalie (who is 67 YEARS OLD, and is actually VERY good, let in a wrister from center ice on Sunday. LOL. We did win, but at the time nor after the game, no one on our team gave him a hard time. We were disappointed, but we also know it is beer league and not the end of the world.

Thats a good idea Jarick. I always thought it would be a good idea for everyone in the locker room to say what they did good and bad after a game.

I am the alternate captain on my team, and I do much of the talking with the team. I call it the "shit sandwich" approach. Start by saying something they did great....then talk about what was done wrong, and how to fix it, and that it is OK, then finish with something good they did.

I do that alot with my defensive partner.....who f*ucks up plenty.

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

I should say, the team did not give me a hard time. The guys on the team are sound as a pound. Great team to be on.

The goalie said he should have had it (even though I screened him). The D-man says he was out of position (which he wasn't). Most of them were giving me the "don't worry, we win and lose as a team, we all make mistakes" bit.

I'm just really ticked because it might have been our best all around team performance this season, in all areas. We played well on special teams, at even strength, we created good chances, we hustled back etc etc.

Just one brainfart/stupid mistake near the end of the game threw it all in the shitter for me.

Eric42...., one of the guys actually said "We all make mistakes, but learn from it, and focus on the good parts of the game tonight, focus on the mistakes the next time you go to a stick and shoot or skating", which I guess is the shit sandwich approach :)

[greech 4]

It happens to the best of us. I've f'd up in front of 12 freezing parents and I've also messed up in front of thousands. But, as hard as it seems at the time, you will move on. If you love this game you will know its the right thing to do sooner or later. It's the nature of the game, and what keeps every game from being 0-0.

[pantherfan 0]

Keep the game at the rink.

Sometimes having abit of gym fodder is good but this isn't that kind of thing, just seems like one of those ones you'd like to have back that preys on your mind.

[Chadd 916]

Just figure out what you're going to do differently next time, that's all you can do. A couple seasons back I tried to make one of my usual high-risk passes and I whiffed on it. The puck ended up on the tape of one of their guys right on the hash marks in front of our goalie. A bad situation indeed, but even worse once I tell you that it was in OT of a playoff game. That one stuck with me for a while, but the sun still comes up and the beer still goes down.

[phunky_monkey 6]

Agree with all of the above! Shlt happens unfortunately. We all make mistakes, sometimes they're more costly than others, but if you let it weigh on your mind you'll lose all confidence, and that is when you become a liability in my opinion.

It can be hard, but don't let it get to you. We all have to shake off bad plays/shifts/games, and it's a lot better if you do.

[Jason Harris 31]

You know the obvious answers: It's just a game. Work on your weaknesses. The sun will come up again. Etc.

But maybe the only encouraging words we can give you is your angst is a positive sign, because it will lead you to improve. Some people wouldn't care, because they'd tell themselves it's just a game and the sun will come up again.

[-venom- 0]

Look at it this way - at least it was a completely honest mistake, it's not like you were trying to hot-dog or win the game yourself, and turned it over.

There's nothing worse than trying to steamroll through and entire team by yourself, coughing it up in a bad spot, and watching the other team score off the turnover at the other end. <_<

[number21 3]

but the sun still comes up and the beer still goes down.

I like that one!

Allsmoke, I can't add much more to what's been said. It's frustrating, but you'll be a better D-man for it in future games right?

[HattrickSwayze 3]

Normally for me, the bad games are followed by the good ones. Right as I start feeling like I'm finally getting somewhere, I have a game so bad I feel like I should quit hockey. But in the end it's all a learning experience and you'll get better. Learn from the bad and try not to dwell on it too much. It's hard not to beat yourself up a lot, I do it myself, but it never really helps anything. Use it as motivation to go out and practice and get better. The end result is worth it.

[DavidT 11]

I look at it as a beer league game and nothing more. Im not out trying to prove myself, just out to have fun. If we win awesome; if not, the beer is still cold.

Mistakes happen and life will continue to go on.