Sport Psychology
Success in sport is not a matter of chance. It involves a conscious effort requiring both knowledge and commitment. Likewise, achievement in soccer is not entirely physical, technical, or tactical. It is also mental, and offen more mental than anything else. To say that athletics is predominately a mental game is one thing (sometimes surpassing 75% in importance), but to really understand it is something else.
All coaches and players agree on this. But they typically just say things like,"have a positive attitude", "focus", "Have some heart", "Stay Relax" etc. Beyond that, little attention is devoted to the subject. And that's mainly because the vital relationship between the mind and body has not been fully appreciated or understood.
The attitudes and habits of an athlete will be ultimately determine how successfully they face the challenges of today's event. Today top soccer players realize that unless they are constantly changing for the better (Continuously Improving), they are changing for the worse.
As Players mature and progress with their skill they will notice that life's challenges are still there.When it is not possible to control the events in their lives, they can still control their responses. All athletes are responsible for their actions and decisions. Life's challenges don't control them; they control themselves.
The events in their life may not be "good" or "Bad" . Sometimes it may be simply be a matter of perspective.
Arousal: Increased stimuli people respond more attentively to their environment.
Anxiety: May cause someone to freeze and stagnate.
Worry: By worrying the attention is shifted towards negativity (Imaginary) problems become bigger and solutions do not seem to exist.
Apathy: Comparable to a state of indifference and a lack of interest.
Boredom: No interest in surroundings, dull, fatigued.
Relaxation: Calm or the absence of excitement.
Control: By Practicing skills become automations, with the risk that the skills level is higher than the challenge to perform a certain task.
Flow: Mental state in which people are completely focused on the activity or task, because of which this carried out successfully.
Disciplinary Actions & Punishment
Behavior management starts on the first day of practice, you as a coach need to set the tone of behavior and attitude. You must be clear about what you expect and communicate that to your players and parents. All coaches need discipline but often they make a mistake with choosing the techniques of discipline/punishment. I have seen many times a coach use physical activity as a discipline to the player’s bad behavior. I understand the reason but physical activity is an inappropriate means of discipline because it gives a negative connotation to all types of activity. If your end goal is to motivate your players to continue to practice and improve, you must separate punishment from the activities you have them do on practices. For example, if you run sprints or laps with your team during most practices, assigning extra sprints or laps for bad behavior immediately assigns a negative aspect to this activity. I usually sit the player and have them watch the others practice for punishment; with that I would like to teach the players “physical activity is a reward if you behave good you can be part of it” Being part of team is the reward for proper behavior and conduct.
What Mental Toughness Attributes?
A. STRONG DESIRE TO SUCCEED
Do I know where I am going and how I am going to get there?
How badly do I want it?
Am I prepared to make the sacrifices to get there?
Pride – Personal responsibility in delivering excellence.
C. CONTROL THE CONTROLLABLES.
Do you worry about uncontrollable factors?
Focus on things you can do something about
E. HIGH LEVEL OF SELF-BELIEF.
Ability to refocus and come back strong.
Can you maintain your self-belief when you are performing badly?
Is confidence under stress one of your strengths?
Never give up even when it looks like it is all over.
B. STAY POSITIVE IN THE FACE OF CHALLENGE AND PRESSURE.
Competition is a continuous presentation of challenges and problems.
How good are you at staying positive under pressure?
Do you love the challenge of tough competition?
How well do you deal with adversity?
D. HIGH COMMITMENT — BALANCED ATTITUDE.
Demand more of yourself than others demand of you.
Maintain balance.
Do I give 100% in training as well as competition
even if things are not going well?
How committed am I?
about uncontrollable factors?
Focus on things you can do something about
F. POSITIVE BODY LANGUAGE.
90% of a message is transmitted by non-verbal (body language) and para-verbal (speech patterns) means.
Non-verbal messages are 16 times more powerful than verbal ones.
Do you look like you mean business?
Do you maintain positive body language when you are losing or playing poorly