Accept pressure, it shows you're on the right track!

Playing hockey at the highest levels comes with immense highs, but sadly also immense lows. In the season of 2013/2014 I experienced both of those emotions. Our league in Holland came to a breath-taking end; we had two chances to make a success of our season. A win on the Friday night or a draw on the Sunday would have kept us clear of the dreaded ‘play out’ zone and could have even catapulted us to a satisfying 7th place. The Hoofdklasse, arguably the best league in the world is made up of twelve teams, the team finishing last is immediately relegated with teams 11th and 10th playing against the 2nd and 3rd respectively from the league below for a place in the coming seasons Hoofdklasse.

Scoring vs Pinoke 2014

I’ve experienced these types of pressure games many times before in my career as a national player for South Africa. As the SA team we have played numerous one off games to see who will qualify for the Olympic Games or World Cup. In these types of games you either handle the pressure or it handles you.

I had accepted that as captain and also drag flicker (player expected to flick the ball at penalty corners) of our club team I would be under increased scrutiny over the weekend’s games. When faced with these types of games I think it’s important to prepare mentally in advance for the feelings that you are going to be faced with on game day. You can’t trick yourself into thinking that this game isn’t different to all the others but you can control how you respond to the situation. Our scenario meant that the wrong set of results would mean we would be in the play outs, resulting in a chance to be relegated.

To me though, feeling pressure shows that you care about the outcome of the game or the scenario you find yourself in. In hockey pressure may come in physical forms on the field in terms of the oppositions playing style but more commonly it is only an illusion, which we manufacture in our minds.

I have had moments in the past when pressure has actually had a physical impact on my game. Your body’s muscles actually become so tense that you essentially can’t perform your skills to your regular standard.

In the second game of the weekend we needed a draw to secure our place in next years Hoofdklasse. A loss meant we would have to play additional matches to prove we deserved to remain in it against teams from the league below. I had already scored twice in the match to level the scoring at 1-1 and 2-2. Once again we went a goal behind and with three minutes left in the match I had a final corner to put us level again. I had picked out the spot where I wanted it to go in my mind and despite sending the keeper completely the wrong way I pushed it just wide of the post. We lost the match 3-2 and I can remember replaying that 'video' in my mind of the ball hitting the boarding behind the goals.

Sure other guys had chances in the match to level the scoring or for even to put us ahead but I can only control what I do, and that’s what I was struggling with. I had the chance to save us.

You're not always the hero.

So what did I change? I went to bed with a different 'video' in my head. I pictured the next game and the upcoming World Cup. Instead of that ball going wide, it was a goal. When I got back at training my muscles knew how to ‘act’ when that moment arose the next time.

What happened, happened and I know it hurt people more than just myself. All I could do was prepare for the next moment and take what I learnt and put it into action.