Posting in the Playoffs

Getting focused for the playoffs can be a large task.  After preparing yourself for months and battling through the regular season reaching the point where a round robin or short series can make or break your year can be a lot of pressure.  If a regular season is a marathon for some, the playoffs can seem like and 800m dash.  Take your foot off the pedal too soon and coasting to victory becomes blowing a series lead.  Start slow and you may not have the time to catch up.

Now, as you walk away between games, the challenges don’t stop at the arena door.  How do you use social media in the playoffs?  Can you harness its power to boost your play and your team?  Finding that balance between control and concentration can be difficult, but mastering social media can go a long way to helping you succeed.

Before any game it is important to have a social media strategy that allows you to determine how you will prepare and how much time you will spend online.  But when the playoffs role around it can be vital that your strategy is locked down and focused.  While many teams take their preparation and routine in the playoffs to another level, it’s important to remember that what you say online lasts well after you log-off for the day.  While it is a valuable exercise to engage with your followers, encouraging them to attend your games, the last thing you want to do is give the other team bulletin board material.

As a goalie you often know if you’re playing well in advance of the next game, but sometimes this isn’t information your coach wants to share.  If you’re the type who wants to go online and invite your friends and family to watch you play, be sure to find out first if your coach wants it known that you’re starting.  If he would rather you not share that information be sure to keep your tweets about the team.  Besides, in a team sport like hockey you don’t really want to make the show all about you anyways.

For some, the added pressure of knowing you’ve invited people to watch you play can impact how calm and composed you are on game-day.  By focusing your attention on being a supportive teammate and sticking to the routine you’ve established all year you can assure yourself that you’ll be ready for the challenge to come.  As a coach I often tell my players that the playoffs are a chance to prove what you’ve done all season was no fluke.  If you got off to a slow start and came on strong, the playoffs is an opportunity to announce where you’re at.  If you struggled down the stretch then the playoffs can be a reset button.

Either way, it’s important to recognize what you’ve done to this point in the season and see if it’s worked for you.  If you’re a week or two away from the playoffs and your game isn’t where you want it to be, today is a great day to review your social media habits.

As you head into the playoffs ask yourself the following questions:

• Am I focused on helping the team?
• Would my posts (tweets, Instagram, etc.) be enough to fire up the other team?
• Am I taking the time to focus on my play?
• Has my routine changed?  Is it working?

Most of all, the playoffs are a high intensity time of year, take a break and relax.  Enjoy the journey but don’t let it change who you are or how you present yourself online.

 

Good luck!

 

Like what you read?  Learn more about the author, Jeremy Whalen and his his exclusive articles for Goalie Army Academy.