Wednesday, August 7, 2013
The Power of Positivity
Positive body language is one of the hidden clues college recruiters look for in prospective players.
Positive thinking has long helped athletes reach their goals, from setting specific goals to visualizing a win before a big game.
Similarly, positivity can play a big role on the recruiting trail as coaches sift through rosters trying to find their next recruiting targets.
When potential recruits have the inevitable bad shift, the sharpest scouts and recruiters in the stands aren’t overly concerned. What they’re more worried about is how that player responds to that shift.
“I look for non-verbal communications,” Notre Dame head coach Jeff Jackson said. “I watch guys on the bench. I look for bad body language. You learn a lot about guys when they face adversity.”
When a college coach offers a spot on his team, he’s making a four-year commitment. There are no trades in college hockey, so NCAA coaches want to be sure what they are getting – a talented player, to be sure, but one who is committed to improving and being a good teammate.
That’s why the obvious elements, like size, speed and skill, aren’t all a college coach picks up on when watching a game.
Details make a difference
“When scouting a particular player, sometimes even the smallest of details could be the difference between a college choosing to recruit the player or not,” said Tim Madsen, assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Niagara. “Details such as bad body language or a players eye contact when his coach is speaking to him on the bench are examples of the little things college coaches look at.”
By the nature of the sport, many of those moments reveal themselves in the face of adversity. When playing a second or third game on short rest, getting frustrated by a great goalie or being whistled for a questionable call, prospective players should know that college coaches are eyeing their reaction.
“One of my biggest pet peeves is a kid whose body language isn’t positive,” Bowling Green assistant coach Ty Eigner said. “I’m not saying you have to be phony about it, but it’s a big part of the puzzle. To me it’s a habit, and if it’s a negative habit it’s going to be hard to break. If you asked every assistant coach in college hockey, they’d all say it was a big deal.”
This article was featured in the August edition of our email newsletter, Play College Hockey.