:: Martin Brodeur and Performance Slumps ::
What we witnessed the last month during the Olympics, and the games following the Olympics, is the slump of Martin Brodeur, arguably the best goaltender in the game. Brodeur has failed to play up to his ability for much of the season, which was highlighted by a terrible performance against Team USA during the Olympics.
Recently I had the chance to watch Brodeur play against the Calgary Flames and it became very clear to me that what Brodeur is going through is probably his biggest slump ever. The problem with performance slumps is that there can be many causes. Here is a list of some of the most common causes of performance slumps:
Sometimes slumps are the product of a tough loss, bad experience, or a situation where the goaltender choked. Losing a key game against the rivals or getting cut from a team that the goaltender felt he should have made can lead to months of poor performances by the goaltender. The more important the game, or the importance that the goaltender places on the event, can lead to the degree to which future performances may be harmed by the tough loss or bad experience.
In many sports, an injury or near injury event can trigger a performance slump. A goaltender that gets run by an opposing player, injuring his mcl, or a goalie that takes a shot off of the neck and is left on the ice unable to breathe for a short period of time can have a huge impact on future performances. Injuries or near-injury events can lead goaltenders to fear becoming injured again, threaten the goaltender’s confidence or sideline the goals which were set out by the goaltender. Injuries are often one of the most difficult situations for a goaltender to handle as they often leave goaltenders feeling like they have no control over the situation.
Sometimes slumps are a direct result of technical or mechanical mistakes the goaltender is making. Some slumps may be caused by a goaltender who is holding his glove too high or who is blocking on every shot instead of reacting. These mistakes may be caused by a misunderstanding by the goaltender or the inability of the goaltender to understand the changing needs of his position. The problem is that if the goaltender truly believes that what they are doing technically is not having a negative effect on performance, they may begin to lay blame on their teammates or become extremely discouraged by their overall game.
Occasionally, a slump can even occur because a goalie is in sub-par condition. The hockey season is often a very long and grueling season, especially if the goaltender has been labeled the number one goalie, is in a highly contested goaltending dual or is facing plenty of shots every night. If the goaltender’s body is not prepared to face such demands, the goaltender may be faced with a slump. No longer can the goaltender react to the puck in time or make the appropriate decisions, as they become more and more physically and mentally tired.
Almost all slumps are fueled and maintained by the goaltender’s focus or concentration just before and during the game. A goaltender who does not prepare mentally before the game or who struggles to maintain the correct focus throughout the game will often become subject to a slump quickly. When a goaltender fails to prepare effectively, they are setting themselves up for failure that could lead to many performances that are below their expectations. Failure for the goaltender to play up to their expectations can lead to a loss of confidence and a goaltender who is stuck in a slump.
There are also those slumps that are started or fueled by bad coaching and/or the actions of the parents. What a coach or parent says to the goalie and how they say it can often lead to a slump. Many times coaches and parents are not even aware of what they are saying that is placing their goaltenders into a slump. The fact is that without playing the position there is many times when coaches and parents believe that they are looking after the needs of the goaltender but instead are the cause of the goaltenders struggles.
Many can argue that Brodeur’s slump is the combination of many of these factors coming together. One area of Brodeur’s game that has never been questioned in the past was his ability to fight through small slumps which he may have experienced and return to his Vezina form quickly. The problem for Brodeur right now is that he is so deep into his current slump that even he is having troubles battling past it.
During the game against Calgary I watched Brodeur question his post set-up and try to incorporate the butterfly into his game during stoppages in play. The problem is that changing the way Brodeur plays his game may not be the answer at his age. The answer for many athletes is visiting myself and working through the roots of their slump and providing the athlete exercises to get out of their slump quickly no matter how entrenched they currently are. If you have any questions, comments or concerns feel free to email me at ssmith@absolutementaltraining.com or leave a message on here.
Shaun Smith is the owner of Absolute Mental Training and writes his weekly Mental Training article exclusively for The Goalie Guild every Tuesday morning! An archive of his articles can be found here.
