When Anxiety Makes Young Athletes Quit Do you have a young athlete that feels a lot of anxiety about his or her performance and is ready to give up? In “Sports Psychology Sessions with Doc,” Dr. Patrick Cohn answers a question from Brad who wants to know how he can can help his son who no longer wants to play soccer due to panic attacks and anxiety. Visit Sports Psychology for Athletes at … [Read more...] about How Parents React When Athletes Want to Quit Sports
Soccer Psychology Tips and Strategies
Playing Well in Must-Win Soccer Games
Mentally Preparing For Big Games Must-win games can make a soccer team rise to the challenge or succumb to the pressure of the moment. Some teams head into these must-win games and get ahead of themselves, “If we lose...” The focus on the potential result of the game shifts your mindset into “play not to lose” mode. From the start of the game, you are tight and find it difficult to get … [Read more...] about Playing Well in Must-Win Soccer Games
Applying Soccer Practice Skills to Games
Taking Practice Skills to Games In “Sports Psychology Sessions with Doc,” Dr. Patrick Cohn answers a question from Robert who wants to know how take his practice skills to games. Visit Sports Psychology for Athletes at Peaksports.com and click on contact us to submit your mental game question for Dr. Cohn to answer in his mental game videocast or podcast. Here’s the question Dr. Patrick Cohn … [Read more...] about Applying Soccer Practice Skills to Games
Do You Have Pregame Jitters or Anxiety?
Determining Your Pregame Level of Intensity Do you consider yourself a nervous athlete? Do you become anxious about being anxious and fall apart during games? Many athletes believe they need to be totally relaxed when competing. When a little bit of nerves strike during the pregame, some 'nervous' athletes freak out. For the nervous athletes, just sensing some degree of edginess can create … [Read more...] about Do You Have Pregame Jitters or Anxiety?
Overcoming Fear of Losing
How Sports Psychology Helped Crystal Palace Fear is a soccer player's toughest opponent... Fear of losing, being judged, criticized, making mistakes, getting injured or losing paralyze soccer players. What do you do to overcome these fears? "Don’t be afraid" is too simplistic and doesn't help... In fact, a little tension is normal and, at times, productive to motivate a play to act or … [Read more...] about Overcoming Fear of Losing
Overcoming Intimidation And Aggressive Players
Mental Toughness When Playing Rough Teams Playing a soccer game against a more physical team can be intimidating for some players. A team with highly aggressive or bigger players can take the focus off your soccer game if you allow. Soon, you will start to worry about getting fouled, injured or being physically dominated for 90 minutes. You may even enter the match with a predetermined … [Read more...] about Overcoming Intimidation And Aggressive Players
When Perfectionism Hurts Performance in Soccer
How Does Perfectionism Hurt Players? What are your thoughts about perfectionism? Do you see perfectionism as a necessary ingredient for your success as a soccer player? If you answered the question yes, you see perfectionism as positive. Many top athletes and elite soccer players label themselves as perfectionists. You may look at these players with such admiration that you conclude that … [Read more...] about When Perfectionism Hurts Performance in Soccer