Controlling Your Emotions When Dealing With Hockey Officials – The U.S. Field Hockey uses mindfulness coaching to control the emotions!

(Source: Positive Coaching Alliance) Jnneke Schopman, Head Coach of the United States Women’s National Field Hockey Team, and two-time Olympic medalist (2004 & 2008) with the Dutch National Team, discusses how the U.S. Women’s National Team uses mindfulness to control their emotions, particularly when dealing with officials.

“I think that is crucial for success. It requires a big learning curve where you have to focus on the things that can influence yourself. The umpires are something that is out of your control, so we use mindfulness to focus on what we can control now and here. We try to focus on what influence we have on the present instead of the future or the past. The key coaching point is to stay true to yourself, but make sure to influence what you can influence. Influencing an official is not part of the game and backfires.”