Ice hockey goalies and stress
Seppänen, Samuli (2024)
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2024050910399
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2024050910399
Tiivistelmä
This research-based thesis was done for goaltending coaches to get an inside about the stress factor and the need of mental skills and mental techniques training. In this thesis the objective is to find out how much does factors such as competition worries, coaches’ expectations, self- expectations, and environment brings stress to the goaltender, and how does the individual manage those stress factors and what are the ways to develop mental skills.
Theoretical framework opens the key elements of the goaltender’s stress management, with topics such as mental skills, mental techniques training, stress and anxiety, environment, and psychological resilience.
Mental skills are a big topic on today’s goaltending and a big aspect in making it to the highest level of ice hockey. Mental techniques training is important for the individual goaltender to realise what mental state they are and what aspects of mental skills needs to be practised even more.
In this thesis method for the interviews are done in a semi structured way. Interviews were done with two professional ice hockey goaltending coaches and three goaltenders in the highest level of junior ice hockey in Finland to get their thoughts on ice hockey goaltenders stress manage-ment. Interviews were done remotely with using google forms, interviews included five questions for the coaches and six questions for the goaltenders.
Timeline of this thesis work started in the year of 2023 starting in April and finishing in April 2024. Phase 1 included plan of the steps for the work, deciding the topics for theoretical framework, and deciding the interview questions based on the theoretical framework. Phase 2 included fin-ishing theoretical framework, interviewing, and analysing the results. Phase 3 included writing the results of the interviews and discussion.
In conclusion main results and outcomes were that the coach’s role is significant on helping the goaltender to manage stress. Another key element of being successful is having an open and confidential coach – athlete relationship, it helps the goaltender to deal with intrinsic and extrinsic stress causing factors.
Theoretical framework opens the key elements of the goaltender’s stress management, with topics such as mental skills, mental techniques training, stress and anxiety, environment, and psychological resilience.
Mental skills are a big topic on today’s goaltending and a big aspect in making it to the highest level of ice hockey. Mental techniques training is important for the individual goaltender to realise what mental state they are and what aspects of mental skills needs to be practised even more.
In this thesis method for the interviews are done in a semi structured way. Interviews were done with two professional ice hockey goaltending coaches and three goaltenders in the highest level of junior ice hockey in Finland to get their thoughts on ice hockey goaltenders stress manage-ment. Interviews were done remotely with using google forms, interviews included five questions for the coaches and six questions for the goaltenders.
Timeline of this thesis work started in the year of 2023 starting in April and finishing in April 2024. Phase 1 included plan of the steps for the work, deciding the topics for theoretical framework, and deciding the interview questions based on the theoretical framework. Phase 2 included fin-ishing theoretical framework, interviewing, and analysing the results. Phase 3 included writing the results of the interviews and discussion.
In conclusion main results and outcomes were that the coach’s role is significant on helping the goaltender to manage stress. Another key element of being successful is having an open and confidential coach – athlete relationship, it helps the goaltender to deal with intrinsic and extrinsic stress causing factors.