Performing With Trust in Soccer
Do you or your soccer players need to “get out of your own way” when competing?
You might be thinking: “What does it mean to get out of your own way?”
When an athlete is unable to get out of his own way, the mind is interfering with his physical talent.
In a general sense, your mind sabotages your physical skills.
The mental game is misfiring.
But another specific definition is also appropriate when discussing getting out of your own way…
Most of the time, soccer players who can’t “get out of your own way” try way too hard, force their game, think too much, or over-analyze.
For example, if you second-guess whether to pass the ball or shoot or if you force a through ball that isn’t on.
How To Perform With Trust
We’ve conducted a massive amount of research with soccer players on performing in the zone. These athletes talk about how they were able to perform without the mental handcuffs of over analysis…
Many athletes described an experience in which they felt like observers (of their own performance) allowing their performance to just happen. As if they were performing on autopilot.
Thus if you over think or over analyze your game, try to force it on every play or shot, and don’t trust your performance, you are guilty of getting in your own way.
Getting Out of Your Own Way
When you get out of your own way, you allow yourself to play freely without added pressure. You allow yourself to just do it and trust in your skills.
To help our athletes get out of their own way, we created “Soccer Confidence” CD and Workbook Program, which is our first soccer specific program.
“Soccer Confidence” gives players and coaches the strategies they need to perform with confidence and composure, especially perfectionist athletes who want to over-control and over think their performance:
Soccer Confidence: Mental Toughness Strategies for A Competitive Edge
Four Tips To Get Out of Your Own Way
1. Simplify Your Performance. Don’t over think your performance. Avoid filling your mind with too much information at once. Your mind can only process one thought at a time. Don’t over coach yourself, or try to do everything your coach or instructor told you in competition. Use only a few thoughts to help you perform such as “get open for the ball”, “play simple”, or “attack with speed.”
2. Trust your practice. The purpose of practice is to learn the skills and strategies to perform in competition. The purpose of competition is to let yourself play. Let go of the “how tos” (your technique or mechanics) and allow yourself to let it happen. So instead of telling yourself to get your toe down, head down, and follow through on shots, simply focus on getting the shot low and to the corners.
3. Go with the flow and don’t over-analyze your performance. Over analyzing your performance only makes matters worse. Be flexible with the situations that might happen during a game. Accept the fact that you will make mistakes. Remember that how you react to the mistake is most important.
4. Focus in the moment instead of the results. A focus on results does not let you play in the moment. Think more about how you can make an impact one play at a time.
Learn Mental Game Secrets to Soccer Confidence!
Does your confidence seem to disappear when you go from practice to games and don’t know why? Do you get nervous and anxious in big games or when you are under a ton of pressure? Do you get so frustrated when you make a bad pass which causes your confidence to sink?
Check out Soccer Confidence: Mental Toughness Strategies For a Competitive Edge
Learn proven strategies to improve focus, composure and confidence so you can perform at your peak in games!
Players: Get the mental edge by learning how to take control of your confidence, mentally prepare for games and perform with composure under pressure.
Trainers: Learn how to give your students the mental game advantage.
Coaches: Boost your team’s confidence using simple proven mental strategies.
Parents: Help boost your soccer player’s confidence. Don’t let their mind hold them back any longer.
Soccer Confidence: Mental Toughness Strategies For a Competitive Edge
What are soccer confidence customers saying?
“Our son plays academy level soccer. Jaki taught him how to focus on goals for each game and practice and understand that mistakes are necessary to grow as a player, and helped his perfectionism. We saw a noticeable difference within one month with improvement each month thereafter. He was more confident, happy, and was having fun again at soccer.”
~Linda, Ryan’s Mother
Do You Make Any of These ‘Costly’ Mental Game Mistakes?
Download our FREE soccer psychology report and discover if you make any of these ‘costly’ mental game mistakes that can block your success.
You’ll discover:
- How your soccer mind can be your best or worst asset on the field.
- How frustration and dwelling are your worst enemy.
- If you are using your soccer mindset effectively before games.
- Learn the important mental game of soccer skills you need to master to boost your confidence and performance.
7 ‘Costly’ Mental Game Mistakes That Block Soccer Players’ Success
What are soccer psychology subscribers saying?
“I have enjoyed and benefited from your emails over the past year or two. I have been a player, parent, and coach in soccer over the past 40 years. Thanks for the assistance with the mental game resources.”
~Kyle Congleton, Soccer Coach and Parent
Mental Game Coaching for Soccer Players
Master mental game coach Dr. Patrick Cohn can help you overcome your mental game issues with personal coaching.
You can work with Dr. Patrick Cohn himself in Orlando, Florida or via Skype, FaceTime, or telephone. Call us toll free at 888-742-7225 or contact us for more information about the different coaching programs we offer!
We look forward to helping you improve your mental toughness!
What are our mental coaching students saying?
“Jaki is amazingly talented. She has a pretty cool way of guiding you to find those issues that are holding you back in your game. Through some pretty clever questions she’s been guiding me to discover the real issues behind my doubts and lack of confidence. With the tools she’s been giving me, I can say with full confidence I am on my way of signing a better professional contract.”
~Lucas Gonzales, Professional Soccer Player in Australia
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