India women's hockey team appoints Peter Haberl as mental conditioning coach
On Saturday, India Hockey officially announced the appointment of Peter Haberl as the mental conditioning coach of the Indian Women's Hockey Team.
Peter Haberl is based out of Colorado Springs, USA and he is a licenced psychologist. He is all set to work alongside the head coach of the Indian Women's Hockey Team- Janneke Schopman.
Haberl is a former ice hockey player and has first-hand experience with the issues faced by professional athletes, alongside the pressure that comes with the game.
He has worked with several high-performing athletes, including teams and individuals. Haberl comes with vast experience as he has already worked with medal-winning teams and athletes at nine different Olympic Games.
Haberl will introduce the Indian Women's Hockey Team with innovative mindfulness techniques and strategies. Furthermore, he will also teach the team how to handle the game stress and pressure and optimize their performance.
Peter Haberl's appointment has received a pleasant reception as the Indian Women's Hockey Team is set to play FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers next year. The Olympic qualifiers are scheduled from 13th January to 19th January 2024 in Ranchi.
Hockey India President warmly welcomed Peter Haberl
Hockey India President Padma Shri Dr Dilip Tirkey looked very upbeat about Haberl's appointment. Welcoming Peter Haberl, he said,
"We are delighted to welcome Peter Haberl to Hockey India family".
Dr Dilip Tirkey further added:
He is a thorough professional and comes highly recommended. We have secured his services to best equip the Indian Women’s Hockey Team to perform without any inhibitions and I am sure that this step will help the team immensely in the future. Haberl will closely work with the team in the upcoming tournaments, including the much-awaited Paris Olympic Qualifiers in Ranchi later this year,”
After retiring from ice hockey, Peter Haberl began his career as a mental conditioning coach in 1996. He landed his first job with the US Women’s Ice Hockey Team as a Sports Psychology Consultant and he worked there for a decade from 1996 to 2006.
Meanwhile, he was also appointed as the Sports Psychologist of the US Olympic Committee from 2001 to 2005. In 2005, he was promoted to the Senior Sport Psychologist of the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee. Peter Haberl worked there till 2023.