Bringing in mental conditioning coach was a ‘master stroke’ for the Indian women’s hockey team.
[ad_1]
Bringing in American psychologist and mental conditioning coach Peter Harberl after the failure in the Asian Games proved to be a ‘master stroke’ for the Indian women’s hockey team in the ongoing FIH Olympic Qualifiers. Harberl, who hails from Colorado Springs, USA, has been working with India head coach Yaneke Shopman since October last year.
Indian captain Savita said a day before the semi-final against Germany, “His arrival helped a lot. We experienced during the Asian Champions Trophy how much benefit their sessions were providing. Both as a team and at an individual level.” He said, ”We had gone to the Asian Games with a very positive mindset and from there we should have qualified for the Paris Olympics. There was also a chance. There are many senior and junior players in the team. When you expect something and it is not fulfilled, it is disappointing.”
He said, “After the Asian Games, Peter did a lot of work on instilling positivity in the players. He was available for online chat whenever we needed him. He remains very calm. He always says that life doesn’t stop, it keeps going on and that’s what we learned from him.” Harberl, a professional ice hockey player, served as a sports psychology consultant to the US women’s ice hockey team between 1996 and 2006. He also worked with the US Olympic Committee between 2001 and 2005, and was the Senior Sports Psychologist for the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee from 2005 to 2023.
India’s coach Shopman said, “The players’ meeting was held after losing the first match to America in the FIH Qualifiers.” After that I talked to Peter and he told me the strategy. The credit for this change goes to him. Mental health is very important and it is not easy to overcome challenges and struggles. Whatever you learn in sports, on and off the field, stays with you throughout your life.
Disclaimer: IndiaTheNews has not edited this news. This news has been published from PTI-language feed.
[ad_2]
Source link
