Confidence in the Crease

Confidence is an issue that can plague goalies of all ages and skill levels. From the smallest mite to Ilya Bryzgalov, confidence (or a lack thereof) can have a direct positive or negative impact on a goal-tender's game in several ways.

1) Arrogance:
In terms of goalies I define arrogance as a supreme disregard for one's competition, regardless of one's actual skill level. Many of you may know these goalies; they walk into the arena with their nose up in the air like they're God's gift to hockey, argue with their coaches because they think they know best, and embarrass their teammates with displays of uncontrolled emotional outbursts that make my eight-year-old nephew's temper tantrums seem tame. This kind of behavior poisons the mind with instability, and is cancerous to the overall mindset of the team. This kind of mental instability, stemming from arrogance (which is often truly a compensation for a lack of confidence), produces inconsistencies in a goalie's play and often makes for a short-lived career. Arrogant goalies often put a target on their own back with such behavior, and fail to execute in "put up or shut up" situations because they do not possess a true confidence in themselves.

2) Lack of Confidence:
Goalies of all ages and skill levels can suffer from a lack of confidence or struggling confidence. The important thing here is that they are handled appropriately. These goalies are not the type who need to be screamed at, degraded, or berated, but rather need to be bonded with, positively reinforced, and encouraged. It is not to say that sometimes they don't respond to" tough love," but it has to be timed correctly. Under-confident goalies need to focus on developing a supreme confidence in themselves, and in doing so will undoubtedly see an improvement in their mental game and consistency on the ice. As an example, Philadelphia Flyers' star goalie Ilya Bryzgalov's struggles with his own confidence have been made relatively public as of late. It will be interesting to see if he can get it together.

3) Supreme Confidence:
This is the belief in one's abilities against all odds and in the face of all adversity, and is not to be confused with arrogance. Supremely confident goalies exude a quiet, calm confidence that radiates from their very core. They maintain a positive attitude in the face of adversity, and seek to tame the roller coaster that is a hockey season. Supremely confident goalies have an air about them that is often contagious and can positively influence their teammates. For goalies, this is the holy grail of confidence and rewards one with the mental capability to respond to high-pressure situations with clutch performances.

As always, these are generalizations. Most goalies fall somewhere in between any of these categories, or contain elements of all three. The most important thing with a goalie's confidence is keeping it on an even keel. I am a firm believer that in order to achieve consistency in one's play on the ice one must establish a consistent mental game. Undoubtedly, the key to this is confidence.