Darren Haynes interview with Baertschi ...

[calumniate]

I don't get this thread. Confidence is a huge thing in the NHL especially for offensive players. It gets talked about all the time. He's a guy that feeds off success, as many others do.

Liked how Hartley called him a playmaker the other night! I'll admit Sven comes off as emotional but you can see the drive is there. I'd mostly been concerned about his speed really, but has looked somewhat better recently

[GioforPM]

Speed could be down to the virus I guess. Other than Mtl and last nite he hasn't been able to play on decent ice.

[GioforPM]

And I agree - this isn't a job for a shrink.

[FlameZilla]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

Wow, we're at the point where posters are advocating sending him to a shrink?

It's pretty simple, some people thrive off success. I hope that encourages him to keep seeking more success.

Many of the top sport franchises in the world have top sports psychologists on staff to help players through these little mental niggles. Cliff Fletcher had Hap Davis on staff as a sports psychologist in the '80s and that proved to be fruitful. I'd be surprised if the Flames didn't already have someone working with the team anyway...

I don't see why there should be any stigma attached to suggesting a top level athlete go see a professional sports psychologist, especially in this day and age. What's wrong with 'seeing a shrink', exactly?

[DazzlinDino]

Originally Posted by Phil Russell

I feel sorry for Sven and I understand why some players prefer playing in non-hockey markets where reporters and fans don't question the interpretation of a player's every word or action. We have no idea what's in Sven's head. We don't know him personally so we should stop pretending we know what he's thinking or what type of person he is. He may or may not work out but patience is still needed, from media and fans alike. He remains a top-notch prospect. Just let the kid play for God's sake.

Is English Sven's first language? It just seems like there is a bit of language barrier in the way he expresses himself. Some have called it being too honest, but I wonder if this may factor in as. He seems more open to interpretation when trying to get his point across.

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by DazzlinDino

Is English Sven's first language? It just seems like there is a bit of language barrier in the way he expresses himself. Some have called it being too honest, but I wonder if this may factor in as. He seems more open to interpretation when trying to get his point across.

It's not his first language for sure, but language isn't the reason for his responses. Maybe culture, but certainly not language

[Flash Walken]

This thread and all the talk around Baertschi is seriously embarrassing.

[puds]

Young player with talent struggling to put it together at the NHL? His current confidence level shouldn't matter as long as he is willing to put in the work and given the the time to grow. Prospect development isn't always a linear path.

[Bezer]

I love Sven, I KNOW he will be a good player at some point.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

And I agree - this isn't a job for a shrink.

This is the exact time for a 'shrink.' There are top athletic programs around the continent that rely on sports psychologists to help their players to step up to the next level. Many times sports psychologists help the player view their performance in a positive light and spend a lot of time reviewing tape and working on building a positive image of the player through visualization. A player like Baertschi, who is obviously struggling to find his confidence at that next level, is exactly the type of athlete that could use some time with a sports psychologist.

I'm not sure what you people think psychologists do, but the negative stereotyping you are applying to this is embarrassing. Psychologists HELP people in many different ways. Depending on their field of expertise their approach will vary. The picture you have is of the Freudian clinical psychologist, who deal with real deep seeded emotional problems, not the sports psychologist who deal with performance anxiety and confidence issues. There is no couch time or talking about an individual's childhood, it is working with the player to believe in their talent and spend time helping the athlete develop a winning attitude. There is a lot of reviewing film of the player's best performances, in-game sessions working through simulation, and visualization of success. All of this is stuff that the best athletic programs in the world invest time and money in, because it helps take the top athletes to that next level. There is nothing 'icky' or strange about it. It has become part of the process of maximizing performance.

[GioforPM]

I have great respect for psychiatrists and psychologists. I know a few. I just don't think this is a case for it. But who knows. I guess it couldn't hurt.

[Table 5]

There's no need to waste money on a shrink, Sven can just listen to Jungle Jim Hunter to set him on the path to sporting success (I can't 100% verify his effectiveness, as I've only listened to his show in 1.5 second increments, as thats how long it takes for me to reach over to the radio).

[savardandjokinen]

Let's get to the end of this. If we keep talking about how he should be doing much better, that's in some ways not giving him confidence. Let's face it, he's not gonna be the player he was expected to be. If we want him to be a 60 point guy, let's not make it worse now.

[T@T]

Originally Posted by calumniate

I don't get this thread. Confidence is a huge thing in the NHL especially for offensive players. It gets talked about all the time. He's a guy that feeds off success, as many others do.

Liked how Hartley called him a playmaker the other night! I'll admit Sven comes off as emotional but you can see the drive is there. I'd mostly been concerned about his speed really, but has looked somewhat better recently

I don't get this really, in a race I doubt 5 other players on the team could beat him. Sven is a great skater.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by T@T

I don't get this really, in a race I doubt 5 other players on the team could beat him. Sven is a great skater.

I think he was talking about Sven's skating in recent games, not how good he is generally.

I would probably say in general he's behind Byron, Brodie, Raymond, Hudler, Jooris, and maybe Gio, Russell, Granlund and Johnny could give him a good race.

[stemit14]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

I think he was talking about Sven's skating in recent games, not how good he is generally.



I would probably say in general he's behind Byron, Brodie, Raymond, Hudler, Jooris, and maybe Gio, Russell, Granlund and Johnny could give him a good race.

I would say he has a step on hudler and granlund but gio is a fantastic skater. Johnny is super quick but his top speed might not be as high as baertschi's.

[GioforPM]

The whole team, absent Smid, Gratts, Bollig and Engelland has decent speed. That includes Jones, Glencross, Setoguchi and Bouma.

[Stupid]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

It's not his first language for sure, but language isn't the reason for his responses. Maybe culture, but certainly not language

I agree.

I really think a lot of people tend to forget he's from another culture, expressing himself in his second language and then (over?)analyze every word he says. He's been raised under totally different norms and values and he just needs some time to adjust to being in the limelight and having everything he says microscopically analyzed every single time.

It's not a small feat to move to an entirely different country across the globe. Cut him some slack and give him some time.