Game Grit

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Justin Danforth and other hockey pros have found support in Coaching when playing abroad

Photo: Rauman Lukko

“Working with Mirjam over the past two years has helped me both on and off the ice. Throughout the season there is always ups and downs, Mirjam was able to put these obstacles into perspective and build a plan to work through them.

Mental coaching is a way to deal with or prevent problems within the season, and through it I’ve been able to believe in myself more deeply. I also became a better teammate, with more of a Team First -attitude.

Mirjam is very smart and easy to talk to. I felt that with working with Mirjam we were able to address the problems head on and move past them quicker, and learn from them for the future. I highly recommend Mirjam to any player who is looking to gain that much needed edge in hockey.”

-Justin Danforth, Professional Hockey Player


Photo: Liiga

”Working with Mirjam during the season was amazing. The ups and downs as a professional athlete at times can be tough. There are so many different things that you deal with as an athlete, to have Mirjam always available was a huge advantage for me.

I had never worked with someone on the mental aspect of my game. To say the least I think it’s hugely important for players to have someone there to listen. She helped me see that at times things weren’t so bad, she was able to say the smallest of things to help me refocus. On the flip side to that, when things were going well she kept me grounded.

It was so valuable for me all year and I cannot wait to work with Game Grit outside of Finland. I highly recommend that all players use Mirjam, she has a wealth of knowledge and passion for helping players.
You’ll immediately see that she can help you become a more composed and mentally strong athlete.”

-Brandon DeFazio, Professional Hockey Player



Photo: Elmeri Elo /ElonKuvaus

”I chose mental coaching, because I have a strong belief that your mental state has a big impact on your game. Thanks to mental coaching I learned a lot of new things and techniques, that helped me to become a better player and also a better person.

Mirjam is a good mental coach and I found it easy to talk to her. That is very important, because you need to talk about everything that’s on your mind, to get the most out of the mental coaching. After sessions I was leaving with a good feeling and full of positive energy.

I would recommend mental coaching to everyone who wants to get better.

-David Nemecek, Professional Hockey Player

Photo: Elmeri Elo /ElonKuvaus

”I believe a big part of hockey has to do with the mental side. I’ve always been very interested in that and wanted to learn more. The biggest thing for me on the mental side as a goalie is getting into “the tunnel”, which I’ve gotten better at over time.

I was happy with the coaching process, it helped me shift my focus to the right things. Working together with Mirjam went well and got better as time went on. It was fun coming to meetings and talking about the games. I think the most important thing in this kind of process is that you have trust in your coach.

Overall I am happy with my season in Finland and feel like I made a lot of progress. I improved my attitude and discipline on the ice and in the gym. Next year I will be playing pro hockey in Berlin.

To other players I would say that you should try mental coaching,
in my opinion it can make you a lot better and more consistent as a player.”

-Tobias Ancicka, Hockey Goalie