QUAKE
Built for Yellowstone Quake Hockey
One Mistake Doesn't
Have to Cost You
the Whole Game.
The grind of an NA3HL season is long. The players who last are the ones who can let a bad shift go in three seconds — and you can build that this summer.
Yellowstone Quake · The Reset Routine · Summer 2026
For the Quake
Whether you're already wearing the blue and gold or competing for a spot on the roster this fall, here's the truth: every player who's ever skated at Riley Arena makes mistakes. Turnovers at the blue line. A bad change. A missed assignment in the D-zone with the game on the line.
The difference between the players who stick at the junior level and the ones who don't isn't that they make fewer mistakes. It's what they do in the three seconds after.
"That's the reset routine — one of the most powerful mental performance tools I work on with every athlete I coach, and one of the best things you can build before training camp."
What It Is
What Is a Reset Routine?
A reset routine is a personal, repeatable action — a word, a phrase, a physical cue, or all three — that you use immediately after a mistake to bring yourself back to the present moment and compete at full capacity again.
3sec
The Window That Changes Everything
Without a reset routine, one bad shift quietly becomes a bad period — and in a tight Frontier Division game, a bad period can cost you two points. With one, you execute your reset and you're back. It's a trainable skill.
Your Framework
Build Yours — Right Now
A great reset routine has three parts. Each one takes seconds. Together, they give you back your game.
1
Physical Anchor
Your Body Signals Your Brain
Tap your stick on the ice. Tap your pads with both gloves. Take one deep breath at the bench. Quick, repeatable, and something you can do mid-game without anyone noticing.
2
Reset Word or Phrase
One Word. Every Time.
"Next shift." "Reset." "Right here." Say it immediately after the physical anchor. The words matter less than the consistency — pick one and use it every single time, in practice and in games.
3
Forward Focus Cue
Pull Attention Forward
Ask yourself: What's my job on this next shift? Win the wall. Get to the net. Make the simple play. That question alone is enough to redirect your mind where it needs to go.
The Off-Season Edge
Your Summer Mindset Routine
Here's what most junior players get wrong: they train their body all summer and show up to camp expecting their mental game to just be there. It won't be — unless you build it now. Summer is when you bank the mental reps so the reset routine is automatic by the time the puck drops in the fall.
The goal this summer: make your reset routine, your confidence, and your focus as trained as your stride and your shot. Here's what a week looks like.
Daily
5 min
Visualization Reps
Before bed or before training, run your best game in your mind — a clean first shift, a battle won on the wall, a mistake you reset from instantly. Your brain rehearses what you feed it. Make it vivid: the ice, the crowd, the feel of the puck.
Every
Skate
Rep the Reset
At summer skates, scrimmages, and camps, use your reset routine after every single mistake — even in low-stakes drills. You're not trying to play perfect; you're training the recovery. Build the habit when the pressure is low so it's automatic when it's high.
3x
Week
Evidence Journal
Write down three things you did well at training. Confidence isn't a feeling you wait for — it's built from proof you collect. By August you'll have a stack of evidence that you belong on this roster.
Weekly
10 min
Identity & Goals Check-In
Once a week, answer two questions: What kind of teammate and competitor do I want to be for the Quake this season? and What's one mental skill I moved forward this week? Champions act from identity, not just effort.
Every
Night
Recovery Mindset
Protect your sleep like it's part of training — because it is. Seven to nine hours, screens down early. A rested brain resets faster, focuses longer, and learns quicker. This is the easiest edge most players ignore.
Show Up to Camp With a Mental Game That's Already in Shape.
The player who trained their mind all summer doesn't just compete harder — they recover faster when it goes sideways.
The players who make it to the next level aren't the ones who never crack. They're the ones who crack and get back up — fast. Start this summer. Bring it to Cody in the fall. Let's make this your best season in the blue and gold.
Your Reset Starts With Self-Knowledge
Know Your Competitor Style First
Your reset routine should be built around how you compete. Haven't found your style yet?
Take the Free Quiz →
Build the habit this summer, Quake. Every rep you bank now is one less thing you have to figure out in October. I'll see you at the rink.
Talk soon,
Coach Kim
Mental Performance Coach · Peak Performance Coaching