This year is my 20th anniversary of me playing Hockey.
So as the Stanley Cup comes into its final 3 games I would like to write a Hockey post.
Part of my positivity/fitness drive included a yearning to get back on the ice again.
Causally I exclaimed that I was doing it for fitness, and that I wasn’t that bothered about playing for team in actual matches. I was lying to myself.
Once I heard the scrape of skate on ice again I was hooked, and in that first session back I felt the anxiety of being past my time melt away and be replaced with the confidence of my past love of the sport.
Within my research in positive psychology, a fundamental theory is that of flow, also known as zone. It is the mental state of operation in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energised focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity.
It is essential in the pursuit of happiness to include time spent in flow. Your own personal flow could be anything, I could be typing a blog or writing a novel, it could be running a marathon, going to church, helping others or simply organising a spreadsheet for work. In order to be truly happy, theory states that a regular engagement into your own flow is necessary.
Playing Ice Hockey is my flow.
So instead of “only every two weeks” I started to attend every training session. And as my hockey form returned I knew I wanted to push myself, to be the best I could be and work harder and harder.
Soon it was mentioned that the league was beginning, who was signing up? Who wanted to play? Me. I did. I signed up I put my name down for the game.
And I got on the team. I was on the roster.
I felt elated.
One of the reasons I left was because of the demands of raising a family. As my family got bigger, the opportunity to return became smaller, the way back vast. As such, my children had never seen me play.
Mrs Berg had another surprise, she had invited one of our friends family and my parents. All in all there was 12 people watching me. The pressure.
I sat in the changing room. Fully kitted up. My mind was racing. Wondering if I was really up to the job. I had also worked so hard so if I couldn’t keep up it might be a blow to my confidence.
Also the lines were not set yet. With a large roster of 23. Some were long term team players, some were younger players well practiced. Where would I fit in the team. Would I even get on?
The coach came into to room. He looked over to me.
“Defence. Line 1” he said.
Wow. Line 1. I was on the top line. The stating line. I felt accomplished. My hard work had paid of and the payout was that my family and my kids would see me play as the top defenseman for the team.
Consequently I played the best game of my life. My children loved it and now showed immediate interest in my sport.
All this gave me the ultimate message that to believe in yourself is one of the most important things you should do.
This weekend is Game 2 of the league and now I enter it knowing my confidence and form is back and ready to perform.
It’s time to get back in the zone.
Bergs Place 