Let’s chat about soccer psychology… As an athlete it’s vital that you know how to think both on and off the field. Some players struggle only on game day, while others struggle before the game happens. One thing players struggle with is feeling nervous to mess up. If you watch a pro game, you see a mistake every 10 seconds, so know it’s normal, just keep working hard. Surrounding yourselves with people who help build you up is helpful. Practicing the right things in terms of technical. Also thinking positive and correcting the lies between your ears. Futbol is to be enjoyed, so let’s do it.
Seek wise counsel for mental strength
Go to people of good honest character and ask them their opinion on what’s going on.
Be open to the feedback and take correction without getting your feelings hurt.
If you have a coach who is honest and respectful you are in a good situation.
“Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.”
Think positive to have good soccer psychology
In any sport it’s vital that you think positive… Not only as you’re playing, but before.
Even the best players in the world go through hard times with confidence…
In these moments it’s important to remember your good days and even the good things people have said to you.
Negative outweighs positive in many situations, so make sure you are fighting that battle in your head with good thoughts.
Practice your strengths and weaknesses
Pro players practice every day, except the day after a win, sometimes the coach will give them a day off.
Imagine if a professional coach said, “Okay team since we’re the best, let’s just practice on Monday and Wednesday.” That sounds crazy right?
College players go through the same thing…
At these high levels there’s always things to learn and improve on, especially “soccer psychology”.
To stay sharp and continue to improve we have to keep practicing.
Focus on the fundamentals and also challenge yourself with more advanced things.
A good drill for experience and novice players is this warm up drill with the ball.
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The mindset to be patient
When it comes to anything in life we have to be patient.
A few years ago during the World Cup there was a ‘special’ each day that covered the stories of 4 players on each team/nation.
The common thing they had was their time growing up as an adolescent…
Coaches don’t believing in them or sitting the bench on their clubs teams. Then 5-10 years later they are playing at the highest level for their country.
Control what you can and don’t worry about the rest. Good things happen to those who wait… Just make sure you’re working hard in the meantime.
“To lose patience is to lose the battle.”
Dealing with injuries
By far one of the hardest things to deal with in sports are injuries like ACL or concussions.
When you get hurt so bad that it puts you out for 8-9 months it takes a toll on you mentally.
The good news is 99% of the time you will recover…
Sometimes it shows you how much you love the sport. Therefore, when you come back, you play harder and take advantage of every minute.
Put yourself in the right situations
Sometimes you have to step down a level, whether you’re getting playing time or not… This is for any age.
I’ve told this story before, but there was a Brazilian CM [Paulinho] who started for both Brazil and Barcelona…
The very next year after having a successful season he went to play club ball in China. That’s not even a top 15 league in the world.
The main reason Paulinho changed leagues was to build his confidence. Barcelona was a lot of pressure, therefore he lost the joy and passion in futebol.
Every player should have the freedom to play for you. As long as you put in full effort, you’ll be playing for your team as well.
Learn to have a good mask
What I mean my a mask is not letting your opponents know you are upset (mad or nervous).
There are stories of pro players in different sports who go from confident to shook in just a few minutes…
Oftentimes it’s because an opponent is talking trash during a moment when you’re playing bad… These are the times you have to keep a steady head and not let them get to you.
Focus on your work and prove them wrong on the field.
One day at a time
When I played pro, a great coach (Bob Gansler) would tell us “everyday is a day to improve.”
You might be a player who’s not getting much playing time now, but there are thousands of stories where a player goes from bottom half on the team to top 3 players within months.
Again, when it comes to soccer psychology you have to remember to focus on your own work.
Good things happen to players who work hard at the right things and are patient.
Most “overnight successes” put thousands of hours in on their craft before all of a sudden they played great on a big stage or in front of the right person in power.
Stay humble
When things are going good it’s easy to think highly of yourself…
Always remember there is someone better and working harder than you.
We can’t always control our performance or the results, but we can our effort.
Most of the top pro players are truly humble… At least the top players who are older and have experience. That’s why they stick around for a long time.
You don’t have to be a pro to act like one.
Be respectful and never think you are too good… On the contrary, know deep down that you are good, just not cocky or arrogant.
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