Losing Focus

So yesterday was Monday, and as usual on Monday's I have hockey with the league for work. Lately I have been finding that I no longer have my head screwed on right while playing. Obviously I love playing, but when it's actually competitive, I find that I lose focus quite easily. Case in point...yesterday's game.

First off, when ever a game gets out of control on the scoreboard (i.e. one team is dominating the other) it's pretty tough for the losing team to get back into it. With about 20 minutes left in the game we were down 5-1... Somehow we managed to bring the game back to within one with 1:15 remaining on the clock. At this point we decided we should pull the goalie for the remainder as momentum was on our side with 3 unanswered goals. Anyways we went down into their zone, someone gave me a sweet drop pass, and I took the puck and took a wrist shot on net through traffic which the goalie got in the way of and kicked out the other side. As I went around the back of the net there was a bit of a scramble in front and I noticed one of their players cross check one of our guys in the back. This is where my focus train came completely off of the tracks.

Upon noticing this I decide to get into a shoving match with who I thought was the culprit, and then basically it was quickly broken up, however the ref was on to me. This comedian comes skating over and tells me that "this isn't minor hockey anymore, it's men's hockey".

At the time the comment caught me off guard, and I did not really say anything, which was probably the right way to go about things. But the smart ass in me wanted to say "really stripes? what was your first clue that this wasn't minor hockey?". Even though there was still another 10 seconds or so on the clock, I decided to let myself cool off and had someone go out for me. But during that skate back to the bench I came to the realization that I wasn't playing my game. First off I'm like 5'6 148lbs, so who do I think I am trying to be the tough guy? Secondly, I realized that I rattle easily...this is what needs to change.

I need to find a way to only focus on hockey when I am playing. It's as if I don't know how to fully concentrate all of my energy into my game. When I am running I lose myself in my run, and don't concentrate so much on my pace or my breathing, I focus on other things. It works for me because I can push myself faster and harder and not worry about becoming fatigued. With hockey, if I let my mind wander like that, I am sure I'd get laid out pretty quickly.

Anyways, that's it...that's the way I see it today...I need to concentrate on MY game, not on that of everyone else.