Mentally Prepared

Click here to read Matt Ondesko's story on the Metro WNY website.

Famous New York Yankees catcher Yogi Berra once said the game is 90 percent mental. The other half is physical.

While Berra was talking about the game of baseball, you could also apply that to the game of hockey, as well.

Being a goaltender can be mentally draining at times. He has to be on his game every time or he lets his team down.

Being a goaltender at the United States Military Academy is not only mentally draining on the ice, but off it as well.

While you put the time in away from the game learning different shooters and how they like to score their goals, you are also learning what it takes to be a Cadet.

“Normal” college ice hockey players start their day probably around 10 a.m. or so – depending on what time they have their first class.

At the academy, a hockey player’s day starts at 6 a.m. with the rest of his company. The academy doesn’t care if you play sports or not, you start the day just like everybody else and sometimes that can be taxing on a young man.

“It’s easy for things to pile up quick and that definitely happened last semester,” stated Army goaltender Jay Clark. “But, obviously, you are better for it and you learn how to cope with it.”

Last season, Clark was named the starter half way through and put up some respectable numbers.

This season, however, Clark knew he was going to be the man and worked hard during the ‘offseason’ to get him ready for the challenge of caring the load all the way through.

“I came into the preseason in better shape this year more that I have ever been before,” said Clark.
“More than anything is has been a mental challenge to take on that reasonability, but I have been learning a lot throughout the year and I am still learning stuff. And I think that is the way to be successful.”

Being successful on the ice is important as the Black Knights are trying to make the NCAA tournament this year.

But, the success off the ice is just as important.

At the academy, people or more concerned about how you carry yourself in the community. How you present yourself when you are away from the ice.

Sometimes, that is hard for the players to, not only understand, but get used to as well.

“There are other adjustments that you are forced to deal with. You’re forced to deal with not getting enough sleep. You’re forced to deal with taking more classes,” explained Clark. “The expectations that people have for you just walking down the street – how you act and how you look – are adjustments that you have to make.”

The fact that you are looked very closely at by other people is the biggest adjustment. The fact that you are a Cadet and an officer in training has people curious.

They want to know about your life. They want to know how you react to certain situations.

“Well, I definitely didn’t anticipate it coming from Minnesota,” stated the Baudette native. “I really didn’t know what I was getting in to. But, coming out here, I realize that people have a certain perception about Cadets. I don’t even know if it’s true. I don’t even know where they get their ideas, but it makes some of the hard work you put in worth it. To know that people respect what you are doing.”

The community just doesn’t respect what Clark and the Cadet or doing, they admire it as well.