Morning Motivator – The Fallacy of Hockey Coaching

"People need motivation to do anything. I don't think human beings learn anything without desperation."
- Jim Carrey 

Have you ever watched a hockey game where one team is DOWN one goal with just a few minutes remaining?  Have you NOTICED that the coach almost always removes the goal keeper in lieu of an additional attacking player?  Well… it drives me NuTs as it is such an obvious act of DESPERATION. 

The most FRUSTRATING result of "pulling the keeper" comes from the fact that it OFTEN results in the leading team winning by yet 1 more goal.  With no goal tender present to DEFEND simple attacks on the goal, attacking players are able to score from uncommon distances, not likely under traditional circumstances.  As a result of the DESPERATE attempt to add "firepower," the losing teams often yields additional goals, losing by a greater margin. 

My wonderment comes from the fact that the team was able to score goals WITH a goal keeper present.  Yet, with just minutes remaining, they BREAK their success process; increase the likelihood of being scored against with less effort, all in an attempt to score in a manner against that which has worked for them up to that point.  

2 DEGREE SUCCESS STEP:

How often have you acted out of DESPERATION achieving the results you hoped for?  How common is SUCCESS as a yielded result of desperate actions?  

In the face of chaos, you are presented the opportunity to stop, think, and act accordingly or just act in a REACTIONARY and DESPERATE fashion.  One response will CONSISTENTLY produce positive results (or at least lessen the damage, with a lower likelihood of compounding the pain)… the other, well, it is an "all or nothing" proposition. 

Allow for cooler heads to prevail.  Provide yourself an opportunity to analyze and proactively adjust actions.  And consider that if you "pull the keeper," you may just end up losing more than you would have hoped to gain… Go Preds! 

Cheers,
Zach

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