Reset on the bench after every shift, stay in control when the game gets physical and keep your focus in goal after a goal against.
Ice hockey is played at full speed in short shifts, with bodychecks and a crowd close by. A shift can go badly within seconds, and shortly after you are back out there. How you use the time on the bench and how you handle your emotions often decides the game as much as your skating.
The time on the bench is your chance to close the last shift. A breath, one sentence to yourself, and your eyes back on the game. Sync trains this routine so a bad shift stays one bad shift.
A hard check or a call you disagree with can lead to a retaliation penalty, and your team pays for it. Controlled aggression means you keep the energy and choose what to do with it. Breathing techniques help in the seconds that count.
A goalie stands alone with every goal against. The next shot is coming and it does not care about the last one. A short routine after each goal, such as a sip of water and a look along the posts, brings you back to the present.
Close the last shift on the bench and go out with a clear head.
Play hard without taking penalties out of frustration.
Stay with the next shot, also straight after a goal against.
Read the game and pick your option in fractions of a second.
Short, helpful words that lift the line and the team.
Stay loose in power plays, overtime and shootouts.
Download Sync and tell us you play ice hockey. You can specify your level so the app tailors its plan to your situation and goals.
Sync builds you a structured plan based on your sport, your current mental strengths and weaknesses and the areas you most want to improve, whether that is resetting between shifts, emotional control or composure in overtime.
Each session takes 10 to 15 minutes and fits around your training. Do it at home, at the rink or on the way to a game, and track your progress over time.
An extensive library of guided visualisations, focus exercises and breathing techniques, all accessible on demand.
Whether you play ice hockey, field hockey or handball, Sync adapts its plan individually to your sport and level.
Expert-led lessons covering the core principles of sport psychology, self-regulation and performance optimisation.
A growing community of athletes at every level who use Sync to strengthen their mental game and perform at their best.
One plan covers your whole club. Every player gets their own personalised mental training programme, tailored to ice hockey and their level of competition.
Get full visibility into your players' mental training. See completion rates, consistency and progress, so you know where to focus your support before a big game.
Identify which players need more mental support before important games and put your coaching time where it has the most impact.
What is mental training for ice hockey?
Mental training for ice hockey is a structured practice of psychological skills that improve how you play under pressure. It means three things above all: closing a bad shift on the bench, keeping your emotions under control in a physical game and staying clear at full speed. Sync delivers these skills in short guided sessions that you can do whenever it suits you.
How do I reset after a bad shift?
Use the time on the bench deliberately rather than replaying the mistake. Take one long breath, say one sentence to yourself about the next shift and look back at the game. If you want to talk about it, a short word with your coach or linemate is enough. Save the detailed analysis for after the game, when it can actually help you.
How do I avoid penalties out of frustration?
Retaliation usually happens in a second or two, so you have to prepare for it. Decide in advance what you do after a hard check: skate away, breathe out and get back to your position. The best answer is often your next good play. Knowing your own triggers, such as a certain opponent or a certain call, makes it much easier to react on time.
What helps a goalie after a goal against?
Have a fixed routine that ends the goal, such as a sip of water and a look along the posts, and do it every time, so it does not depend on how you feel. Then bring your attention to the puck and the next face off. Save the analysis for later. Your job in that moment is one thing only: the next shot.
Is mental training useful for club players?
Yes, perhaps even more than for professionals, because club players rarely have access to a sport psychologist. The moments that decide a game are the same at every level: a bad shift, a penalty out of frustration, a goal against just before the break. Sync is designed for athletes from age 14 upwards at any level and brings established sport psychology techniques into short daily sessions that fit around your training and your games.
What does Sync cost?
Sync is free to start and you can keep training without paying. Premium unlocks the full library and costs around 100 euro a year, with monthly and six month options; the current prices are always shown in the app. Clubs get a discounted team licence, ask us for a quote. Sync Ultra combines the app with a monthly session with a certified sport psychologist for 100 euro a month.
Four minutes, 16 possible types. Each one has its own strengths and its own patterns under pressure.
