By Tony Carlton, Fayetteville Marksmen

I know this from personal experience. Before my work in hockey performance, strength and conditioning, and nutrition, I served as an FMF Navy Corpsman alongside Marines in combat. My responsibilities included treating injuries and ensuring that warfighters could remain physically and mentally viable. This experience has shaped my approach to training tactical athletes and hockey players. As a Doctor of Health Science candidate at Pennsylvania Western University, my research focuses on holistic resilience and reintegration strategies for tactical military athletes. Through my Mindfully Tactical Foundation (MTF) foundation, I assist veterans in transitioning successfully after service. The same strategy—mindfulness, performance psychology, and recovery—also benefits hockey players seeking a competitive edge.

Röthlin and colleagues (2016) demonstrated that athletes who practice mindfulness remain calm in high-pressure situations and improve their reaction times. This suggests that speed encompasses both physical and cognitive aspects. An unfocused player is likely to make poor decisions. Conversely, players trained to stay present and manage their emotions perform effectively under pressure.

Tactical athletes train for this level of control. I’ve witnessed the consequences of emotions taking over in critical situations. The best operators do not act on impulse. They manage their breathing, concentrate on the task, and perform under pressure. Hockey players must adopt a similar strategy. Controlled breathing, visualization, and mindfulness techniques improve composure and decision-making. At the SPHL level, every player aims to earn a call-up. Those who cultivate mental control distinguish themselves from those who do not.

Training volume does not determine performance; recovery does. Sleep, nutrition, and active recovery influence how an athlete’s body responds to training. Fatigue slows players down and reduces reaction time, decision-making, and endurance throughout a season. Tactical athletes train for sustainability, and hockey players must adopt a similar mindset—optimized recovery strategies set apart players who excel from those who decline over time.

Some players will accept call-ups, while many will not. Even those who do accept may eventually undergo a transition. Brown and colleagues (2018) found that athletes lacking social support during the transition out of elite sports face significantly more challenges related to mental health and identity loss. Transitioning away from professional sports involves more than just physical changes; it also includes psychological aspects. Players who prepare for post-career opportunities, build strong peer networks, and utilize the right resources have a better chance of success in life after hockey. Teams and trainers that emphasize this development equip their players for more than just the sport.

Teams do not succeed solely based on talent. Trust, cohesion and the ability to execute under pressure define winning teams. Research shows that teams with strong internal trust and communication consistently outperform those with higher individual skills. The capacity to operate as one unit determines success.

The Fayetteville Marksmen organization has integrated this into its development model. Athletic Trainer Kyle Sherrill, recognized as the league’s top trainer for several consecutive seasons, emphasizes durability, resilience, and mental toughness. His approach to athlete recovery, injury prevention, and leadership development prepares players to meet the demands of high-level competition and ensures long-term career sustainability.

Hockey success doesn’t come from just training harder or skating faster. It stems from building resilience, making more intelligent decisions, and maintaining high performance over time. Many hockey trainers already prepare players at a high level, but incorporating tactical athlete training principles takes player development beyond the ice. The best players don’t just outwork their opponents; they outthink, outlast, and outperform them.

References

Brown, C. J., Webb, T. L., Robinson, M. A., & Cotgreave, R. (2018). Athletes’ experiences of social support during their transition out of elite sport: An interpretive phenomenological analysis. Psychology of Sport & Exercise, 36, 71–80. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2018.01.003

Fletcher, D., & Sarkar, M. (2016). Mental fortitude training: An evidence-based approach to developing psychological resilience for sustained success. Journal of Sport Psychology in Action, 7(3), 135–157. https://doi.org/10.1080/21520704.2016.1255496

Röthlin, P., Birrer, D., Horvath, S., & Grosse Holtforth, M. (2016). Psychological skills training and a mindfulness-based intervention to enhance functional athletic performance: Design of a randomized controlled trial using ambulatory assessment. BMC Psychology, 4(1), 39. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-016-0147-y

Joe Dwyer Photography provided the photos.