Calgary Flames goalie Devin Cooley has made a habit of turning routine postgame interviews into memorable insights on sports psychology. After a stellar stretch, he was named the NHL's second star of the week ending Oct. 25, and his quotes offer a rare glimpse into the mind of an elite athlete.
On Oct. 18, Cooley explained that he has fun playing, but when that fun turns into overthinking, he shifts from an unconscious goalie to a conscious one, and his conscious brain is really bad at playing goalie. A week later, he said he feels completely in control of his mind, even at home, where he reads with his pet rabbit, Tito, and thinks about little else. He also learns linear algebra in his spare time. Before this season, he gained attention as a relatively unknown, undrafted backup for the San Jose Sharks when he told reporters, "Nothing's really gonna matter. We're all gonna die."
Dr. Michael Gervais, a high-performance psychologist who hosts the "Finding Mastery" podcast, says Cooley has found an optimal flow state where his brain doesn't get in the way. Gervais notes that the athletes he has worked with reach that state about 20% of the time, while Cooley appears to stay in it far longer. "You can train your conscious mind to trust your non-conscious," Gervais said, pointing to the practice drills Cooley uses to prepare for game moments.
Former NHL goalie Mike Condon, now a mental performance coach with a master's degree in clinical mental health counseling, said he wished he'd had Cooley's approach during his own 129-game career. Condon said he never felt confident before games, and instead relied on courage. For Cooley, the result is a calm focus that many in the sport are beginning to study.
Source: ESPN NHL · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing