🧠 What if you could begin preparing for your best game before you even stepped onto the ice?

In this episode of The Ride to the Rink, Lee is joined by goaltending and mindset expert Pete to introduce young athletes to mind mapping—a simple but powerful exercise that can help players visualize success, strengthen their confidence, and prepare mentally for tryouts, big games, and pressure-filled moments.

Pete shares how he used this exercise with a goaltender preparing for a championship game. By writing down what he wanted to see, hear, and feel, the goalie created a clear mental picture of the performance he wanted to deliver. Lee and Pete then walk listeners through how they can build a mind map of their own.

🏒 In this episode, young athletes will learn:

-How to create a mind map before a game, tryout, or important event
-Why players should include what they want to see, hear, and feel
-How visualization can help make a big moment feel more familiar
-What to do when a negative thought interrupts their confidence
-Why recognizing a negative thought is already an important victory
-How to replace “I can” with the stronger statement “I am”
-Why mental skills deserve practice just like skating, shooting, and saves

Pete also offers a memorable way to understand negative thinking: your mind is like a garden. When you intentionally plant confident and constructive thoughts, you give those thoughts room to grow. When a negative thought appears, acknowledge it, swat it away, and return your attention to the picture you want to create.

This exercise is not only for hockey. Young athletes can use mind mapping before a school presentation, recital, test, performance, or any situation in which they want to feel prepared and confident.

📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: https://www.ourkidsplayhockey.com/blog/how-mind-mapping-can-help-young-hockey-players-build-confidence/

🎧 Listen together on the ride to the rink, then grab a piece of paper and create your own powerful-game mind map.

No matter where you are in your hockey journey, we believe in you—and you should too.

#TheRideToTheRink #YouthHockey #HockeyMindset #MentalPerformance #SportsConfidence #HockeyTryouts #Visualization #GoalieMindset #YoungAthletes #OurKidsPlayHockey