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PREDATORS USE SPORTS PSYCHOLOGY TO GET AN EDGE

11/22/2014, 6:30am EST
By Predators

The Piedmont Hockey Club has added another progressive element to the program.  Starting this season, the Predators are using sports psychology to help players mentally prepare for competition.  The Predators have enlisted the help of Kimberly Rice. 

Kim is a Virginia native.  She has a Psychology degree from George Mason University and a Masters of Science in Kinesiology with a concentration on Sports Psychology and Motor Behavior from the University of Tennessee – Knoxville.  In Knoxville, Kim worked with the Knoxville Ice Bears of the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) as their Head Internship Coordinator and Sports Psychology Consultant.

At the 2014 USA Hockey Level 5 Coaching Symposium, Sports Psychologist Doc Wally Bzdell made the point that 75%-80% of the game is mental.  He questioned the coaches in attendance “How many of you spend time on mental skills and mental preparation?”  The room was silent. 

Piedmont Predator Executive Director Ron Evans had this to say “We are happy to be working with Kim.  We feel this component will give our players an edge and set our program apart.  Adding sports psychology to a program that already offers more practices, professional power skating, professional goalie training, professional off-ice training, and game video review really makes a statement about our commitment to total player development.  Kim will help take our program to the next level. ”

Kim is working with Predator teams on team building, confidence, leadership skills, relaxation, game preparation, and other mental training aspects.  A quote from Kim:  "I am very excited to be the sport psychology consultant for the Piedmont Predators. Since earning my masters, I have looked for an organization that recognizes the value of sport psychology in youth sports. The benefits of enhancing performance through mental skills training is something not every coach and parent realizes.  The workshops I do are hands on and created uniquely for each team, based on age, skill, and team needs.  Each workshop has concluded with positive feedback from the coaches. I look forward to seeing the players apply what they have learned in the workshops to become better, stronger players." 

U16 Elite Coach Chris Borner put it this way, “After only a few sessions with Kim, the players are approaching pre-game preparation with a much more mature mindset.  We are already witnessing positive effects.”

Understanding the commitment the Piedmont Hockey Club has towards total player development, it is easy to see how we have grown to be one of the larger programs in the CBHL.

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