Are You Looking for a Game-Changing Edge
The common denominator of soccer players who have achieved athletic excellence is confidence.
Confidence is not as complicated as some players make it. The reality is that some soccer players have low confidence because they spend no time and effort developing that essential mental skill.
However, it’s your confidence that produces peak, consistent performance. How can you build unwavering confidence?
One way to build confidence is by maximizing your opportunities in practice. For example, when your coach implements a new dribbling drill, focus intently on controlling the ball, just as if you were dribbling through two defenders in a game.
When running sprints at the end of practice, race each one as if you were chasing down a ball late in a game.
When you are playing an intra-squad scrimmage, hustle on every play, even if you are tired, just as if you were playing against a rival team.
These scenarios happen in every game. If you want to be confident in your dribling skills, focusing skills, ability to overcome tiredness, and ability to perform under pressure, maximize your opportunities in practice.
While other teams are going through the motions, you are elevating your game. This is how you develop unwavering confidence and gain an advantage over opposing teams.
When the game is tied in overtime, you will be confident in your abilities because you have done so in practice.
When the opposing team is tired, you will be confident in your ability to keep going because you pushed yourself in practice.
When the opposing team is afraid to make mistakes, you will be confident in your ability to play aggressively because you have practiced the same way you wanted to compete.
The University of Vermont men’s soccer team earned its first national championship in a 2-1 comeback over Marshall University at the 2024 NCAA National Championships.
The victory was the second straight game Vermont forced overtime with a late goal and outlasted its opponents to win.
After the championship win, Vermont defender Zach Barrett talked about how the team’s confidence never wavered, even when trailing late in the game.
BARRETT: “No team in this country can defend us for 90 minutes straight. We always get one chance, if it’s in the first minute or the 90th minute, we always get one and we take it.”
Barret further commented that the team has built its confidence through hard work in practice.
BARRETT: “When other teams start getting tired, that fuels us. We worked hard in practice. We had our record fitness test at the beginning of this year. When other people start getting heavy legs, we just get stronger.”
How you approach practice shows up in games. Maximizing your mental, physical, and technical opportunities in practice sets you up for peak play in the future.
Ask yourself, “What steps can I take right now to sharpen my mental edge?”
Reflect on this question before practice, during drills, and especially when you’re pushing through fatigue in conditioning sessions. Always remember: confidence is earned through deliberate actions.
Related Sports Psychology Articles
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