FlyChicaga
Registered User
This is a bit of an awkward post to make, but I do need some advice since my game is somewhat falling apart.
I suffer from social anxiety. It's something I've dealt with my whole life, but in terms of hockey wasn't really an issue since I've been playing pick-up games for years. In the past two years I joined two beer league teams, and I've found my anxiety is really hurting my play.
Basically, starting in warmups my anxiety builds, which is a fear of screwing up. I fear turning the puck over, making bad plays, having the team look down upon me, etc., so when I do get the puck I end up freaking out and panicking. I have the skill to skate, make solid passes, and make accurate, hard shots. In a game, I do none of those things.
Example: As a defenseman, I'll make a really solid D play and strip a guy of the puck. I pick it up in the corner and freak out thinking this guy is going to strip it back, I'm going to make a bad pass, I'm going to turn it over, etc., so I throw it off the glass into the neutral zone. If I could calm down and make some space, two guys would be open and I'd make a solid breakout pass.
Second example: In warm ups, I'll hang in the neutral zone and practice escape maneuvers followed by a pass, or I'll practice lateral moves along the blue line to make space for a point shot. I'll be making these great moves and hard passes, then in a game I get the puck at the line with plenty of time to move and my muscles freeze and I feel like a bender. Or I tense up and end up shooting 3 feet wide of the net.
Has anyone ever suffered from something like this, and any advice to overcome it?
I suffer from social anxiety. It's something I've dealt with my whole life, but in terms of hockey wasn't really an issue since I've been playing pick-up games for years. In the past two years I joined two beer league teams, and I've found my anxiety is really hurting my play.
Basically, starting in warmups my anxiety builds, which is a fear of screwing up. I fear turning the puck over, making bad plays, having the team look down upon me, etc., so when I do get the puck I end up freaking out and panicking. I have the skill to skate, make solid passes, and make accurate, hard shots. In a game, I do none of those things.
Example: As a defenseman, I'll make a really solid D play and strip a guy of the puck. I pick it up in the corner and freak out thinking this guy is going to strip it back, I'm going to make a bad pass, I'm going to turn it over, etc., so I throw it off the glass into the neutral zone. If I could calm down and make some space, two guys would be open and I'd make a solid breakout pass.
Second example: In warm ups, I'll hang in the neutral zone and practice escape maneuvers followed by a pass, or I'll practice lateral moves along the blue line to make space for a point shot. I'll be making these great moves and hard passes, then in a game I get the puck at the line with plenty of time to move and my muscles freeze and I feel like a bender. Or I tense up and end up shooting 3 feet wide of the net.
Has anyone ever suffered from something like this, and any advice to overcome it?
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