Coping With A Lack of Support
Are you struggling with a lack of support from your family and friends?
Lack of support is a sticking point for one soccer player who recently completed our soccer survey:
“I personally can cope with criticism and low support but to be constantly told by family and friends that I won’t achieve my football goals even though they’ve never seen me play takes a toll on me.”
“I know my qualities which is why I never pay attention to low support but the thing my family, especially, doesn’t understand is that I’m doing this for them as well. I’m soon to be a professional soccer player within the next coming weeks and I just wished they’d be happy for me as I am for myself.”
A lack of social support can be an additional mental burden to bear that can interfere with soccer players’ capability to play at their peak on the pitch.
No matter how confident you are, it is comforting to know you have a strong support system to help you navigate through adversity, be a sounding board during tough times and even revel in your successes.
A support system serves several purposes:
1. Validation – It is reassuring to know that other people recognize your skills, abilities and effort. Validation provides a sense that all your hard work was well worth the effort.
2. Emotional Pick-Me-Up – Emotional support from family and friends can help you through bad games, injury, adversity and the grind of a long season.
3. Objective Evaluation – You can be your own worst critic at times. A strong support system can help you objectively evaluate your performance in games and assist in keeping your confidence high.
4. Advice – A strong support system can provide guidance or lend an ear when you need to get something off your chest, such as team conflict or personal issues.
5. Ovation – Successes are always best when shared with others. Having someone that can join in your celebration of success, whether it be playing a great game, achieving your goals or playing professionally, can increase your feelings of joy, pride and confidence.
Social support, as you previously indicated, is a valuable resource for all athletes.
The question remains:
What can you do to build a support system or deal with a lack of support from your friends and family?
1. Not all people will automatically know what you need as an athlete. Discuss your needs and feelings, in an appropriate manner, to your family and friends. Be specific when communicating to your friends and family about how they can assist you.
2. Some people may not be capable of giving you exactly what you need. These circumstances are outside of your control and are something you should try to accept.
3. Lean on those who understand the nature of being an athlete. Good sources of support are past coaches, teammates and friends who understand the nature of being a competitive athlete.
4. Focus on the support you have rather than those who don’t support. A few sources of strong support outweigh having many people giving you the bare minimum of support.
Social support is an important aspect of your athletic life, so you should seek to make those connections as positive and productive as possible.
Ultimately, it is up to you to take action when it comes to building your support network.
Discover Mental Game Secrets to Soccer Confidence!
Does your confidence seem to disappear when you go from practice to games?
Do you get nervous and anxious in big games or when under a ton of pressure?
Do you get so frustrated after making a bad pass that your confidence sinks?
If you are ready to improve your mental toughens and perform with ultimate self-confidence in games, check out our program:
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.
Learn the top eight mental game lessons for soccer players to boost your mental game and improve consistency. You’ll learn how to mentally prepare for games to performing under pressure to building unstoppable confidence!
Soccer Confidence: Mental Toughness Strategies For a Competitive Edge
What are our mental game program customers saying?
With the mental tools my soccer
mental training program has given 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
“Dr. Cohn, Michelle had the best
weekend of soccer she has ever played. She was relaxed, did not get
frustrated with herself or teammates, and never once ‘shut down.’
Numerous parents noticed a difference in her composure and attitude.
Thanks again for EVERYTHING…Michelle is in a very good place right now!”
~Diana, Michelle’s Mother
Boost Your Self-Confidence And Focus With Expert Mental Game Coaching!
If you’re a top performer during practice but find yourself under-performing in competition, the most likely culprit holding you back is your mental game. In fact, many athletes struggle with the same problem….
Master mental game coach Dr. Patrick Cohn can help you overcome your mental game issues with personal coaching.
Meet with us via Skype, phone, FaceTime, or GoTo Meeting. With today’s video technology, we are able to connect with athletes and coaches all over the globe.
Mental toughness coaching helps serious athletes like you to uncover the beliefs and attitudes that keep you from performing to your potential. You’ll learn mental game strategies to perform at your peak more often, overcoming performance plateaus and lack of consistency
Call us toll free at 888-742-7225 or contact us for more information about the different coaching programs we offer!
What are our mental coaching students 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
“We try and spend 20 to 30 minutes a
day working on the mental aspects of the game. My daughter is really
enjoying it and feels it has helped and I know it has worked for her
mother and I. I think you need to open a branch up here in Detroit,
Michigan because there are a lot of parents and kids up here that need
this information. Keep up the good work!”
~Scott Burgess
“Adam is truly one of your success
stories. We purchased the CD program for him last year around this time.
He is a soccer goalie and needed more confidence. The change was
dramatic and he still goes through the exercises before a big game.”
~Stella Prevost
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