Jan. 2, 2026

The Ride to The Rink: Mental Strength for Every Shift with PlayWellMinds

🧠 What if your thoughts and emotions were actually your biggest teammates? On this episode of The Ride to The Rink, hosts Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli are joined live from Sweden by sports psychology experts Johan Fallby and Henrik Cronebäck for a powerful conversation just for young hockey players. Together, they break down simple, practical mental fitness tools kids can use: On the way to practice 🚌Before a big game 🏒Even before a test at school 📚💡 You’ll learn why feeling nervous is complete...

🧠 What if your thoughts and emotions were actually your biggest teammates?

On this episode of The Ride to The Rink, hosts Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli are joined live from Sweden by sports psychology experts Johan Fallby and Henrik Cronebäck for a powerful conversation just for young hockey players.

Together, they break down simple, practical mental fitness tools kids can use:

  • On the way to practice 🚌
  • Before a big game 🏒
  • Even before a test at school 📚

💡 You’ll learn why feeling nervous is completely normal — and how to use those feelings to your advantage instead of fighting them.

🔑 Key takeaways for players:

  • Why thoughts and emotions are your friends, not something to avoid
  • The SOAL method (Stop, Observe, Accept, Let Go) for managing nerves and pressure
  • How mental training is just as important as skating, shooting, and puck skills
  • A simple “Top Three” nightly habit that boosts confidence, well-being, and sleep

👨‍👩‍👧 Parents, this one’s for you too — these tools work for kids and adults.

🎒 Two golden nuggets. One short ride. Tools you can use for the rest of your hockey journey — and life.

🏒 No matter where you’re at on your journey, we believe in you. You should too. Skate hard. Get better. Have fun.

📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: Mental Strength for Young Hockey Players: Simple Tools to Build Confidence Before the Game

#TheRideToTheRink #MentalFitness #YouthHockey #HockeyMindset #MentalStrength #SportsPsychology #GrowthMindset #HockeyKids #ConfidenceBuilding

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