Mental Strength for players

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

“Champions aren’t made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them – a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have the skill, and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill.”

Muhammad Ali

In soccer, as in most sport, the differences in skill and ability levels between players who have reached the elite leagues – be it as a top amateur, semi-professional or professional - is far less pronounced than it is among young players.
In the majority of cases talent will have been spotted and nurtured early. Intense and high-level coaching over a number of years will have imbued technique and skill, a thorough understanding of tactics and excellent physically fitness that sets them aside from the enthusiastic weekend player.
So what is it that gives some the edge over the others? What is it that means they can hold their nerve in a penalty shootout, shut out on and off the pitch distractions and climb right up to the top of the pile?
Mental strength is as every bit as vital as physical strength. It is what ultimately defines winners and losers.

Handling pressure
So called ‘choking’ in sport is the result of the intense pressure a player perceives himself to be under. This pressure results in judgement failure which leads to unforced errors.
It also takes a physical toll, manifesting itself in increase heart rate and muscle tightening.

According to Clinton Gahwiler, a distinguished sports psychologist and adviser to the South African Olympic team, the ability to handle pressure is a skill that can be changed and improved by working on it.
"Basic mental skills involve becoming aware of one's ideal internal state, and then developing techniques for creating, monitoring and maintaining this state during important performances," he says.
Example techniques for preparing players for high pressure situations:

1. Visualizing or imagining the moment. Get the player to imagine the experience of scoring a penalty to win in a shoot-out in a final or seal the championship
2. When practicing simulate the pressure as far as possible. Create noise, get opponents to try and distract the subject, and put him off verbally and mentally
   

Match day nerves
A common sporting term for a player who appears totally determined and fully focused on the challenge facing them is that they are ‘in the zone’.
Many sports psychologists believe that a certain level of nervous before a game is a good thing. In broad terms, channeled correctly it is a stimulus towards optimum performance. However if it becomes anxiety and nerves, the players vacate the zone and do not perform to their potential.

Example techniques for reducing and channeling nerves:

1. Encourage a regular match day routine (avoid superstitions). By having a set pattern in what they eat, what they put in their kit bag, how they warm up and how they get psyched-up (visualization, self-statements, listening to music etc...) the player has a feeling of control over preparation
2. Centering is a physical technique used to focus attention, create a feeling of calm and counter destructive nervousness. Stand with feet in line with the shoulders width and arms at the sides. Breathe deeply and exhale very slowly. On breathing in concentrate on the feeling of tension in the upper body increases slightly, while on exhalation on the calming, sinking feeling

Making mistakes
"This game is not mathematics. It is football and in football two plus two rarely equals four. Sometimes it's three. Often it's five" - Dutchman Leo Beenhakker, the coach of Trinidad & Tobago during the 2006 World Cup Finals.
‘Win at all costs’ coaches abhor mistakes, believing that if they iron out all errors the team will be more successful. However, sports physiologists almost unanimously believe this to be a misguided approach.
Making mistakes is often the result of players being prepared to take risks, to do the unusual. Attempting to cut this out of a player’s game stifles creativity, produces a regimented approach, and takes the fun out of playing.
Those who are encouraged to take risks and express themselves take ownership of their decisions and are therefore more likely to fully absorb the consequences of mistakes and understand why they must be put right.
Soccer history proves that it is the risk takers who win games. That individual, intuitive flash of unorthodox brilliance is time and time again proved to be the difference between two otherwise evenly matched teams.

Dealing with aggression
Handling aggression is a tight-rope for soccer coaches. Channeled appropriately it can be the will to win that gives your team the edge. On the other hand, inappropriate aggression leads to violence, unnecessary injury, official sanction, and loss of focus.

Tips

1. Hustle, don’t charge – rushing into physical challenges results in poor judgment and provides the opponent with an opportunity to beat you – hustling, invading space without committing to the tackle, puts the emphasis on your opponent to come up with solution
2. When a player is sanctioned, ask them to reflect on what impact that has had not only on the victim but your own team. Has it led to a change in tactics, are we less able to win, etc...
3. Be available to talk – Over aggression is often the result of external pressures. While these pressure are none of our business, make it clear that you are happy to listen
   

Fear
All successful sports players have an inherent desire to succeed. However, this can be rapidly dimineshed by one losing game. The result can often be a feeling of self-loathing and concern about ability. True success in sport is understanding one’s limitations and turning negatives into positives

Tips

1. Be cool about injury – soccer is a contact sport. Bumps and bruises are inevitable but put in the context of a good game they are something to be proud of, not resented
2. Win the battle – set standards by being better than your opponent. Once achieved, you can focus on the rest of the team
3. Teach players to tackle properly – locked knees, ankles etc...
4. Be clear – violence or deliberately trying to hurt an opponent is not acceptable. Point out that the greatest players are those who have a healthy respect for their opponent and use their skills not physical stength to get the upper hand