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Former NHLer - Mike Kosta - meets with Elite Students

By EHA, 01/22/21, 5:45PM EST

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The Four Pillars

On Thursday the 21st of January the EHA student athletes were treated to a call with former NHLer and sports psychologist Mike Kostka. Mike was very clear on many elements that he found to be important to the success as a professional hockey player. At EHA we are convinced that Mike’s “Four Pillars” are the foundation to success regardless of your endeavor.

Mike’s Four Pillars:

  • Technical – As hockey players this reflects your skills: skating, shooting, stick handling, etc. It is the same, however, for whatever endeavor you are trying to succeed at. Without the basics you have no chance to succeed.
  • Strategic – No matter the game, the more you know regarding the mechanics of how the game should be played the better your odds of success. Strategy is the “plan” you employ to meet your objective, tactics what you employ when outside forces come into play during the implementation of your plan. The value of understanding the game and the objective cannot be underestimated.
  • Physical – Conditioning and taking care of one’s self can never be overlooked. If you cannot keep up with your competition over the full length of a game, a series or a season, how can you ever expect to win. Finding and maintaining a routine, self-maintenance and knowing your self are imperative for success.
  • Mental – The big one! Mental toughness is perhaps the most overlooked aspect of success and it is the most important. Finding that spark that ignites you to push when you think you are done, the resilience to overcome a setback during the game, the inner knowledge that if you keep on working your opponent will wear down. These are just a few aspects of mental toughness that set the great apart from the good.

A biproduct of the “four pillars” is confidence. According to Mike, this is not an innate trait, but one that is achieved through hard work. Practice, conditioning, studying and an internal understanding of one’s self are the ingredients we need to have confidence.

MIKE KOSTKA

A Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League (NHL).

More About Mike Kostka