hooglgroovy.blogg.se - Mental skills for soccer players

Saying that it can often be the individual that does something special in a game that raises the level of the team. As a collective and harmonised unit, the team will generally perform much better so it is key for a player to be able to operate to their maximum ability within this environment. There have been many occasions where you could say that one player above all others is the reason for a team’s success such as Diego Maradona’s time at Napoli in the 1980’s along with recent successes of Ronaldo and Messi but they all relied on their team mates to help bring that success and they will all acknowledge that. Is it true there is no “I” in “TEAM”? Football is a team sport where you win together and you lose together. That is why you train and practice to help make those decisions but there are added elements like creativity, logic and taking a chance which will give the edge.

Just as in life, previous experiences help you make these decisions and football is no different.

Risk assessment – What happens if I run into this space or if I pass a ball into that space? Are you able to make the right decision that will have a positive impact for your team and minimise the risk.

Where are the players standing or moving and what are the distances and spaces in relation to the ball? How quickly can you create these pictures to help you make a decision as to your next move?

Spatial Awareness – Players need to quickly visualise and understand the pictures that are created on the football pitch.

To simplify, game intelligence is measured by the decisions and the speed at which they are made by a player on the pitch.

You can’t predict the outcomes and you can’t cater for every scenario that is created on the pitch. These expressions constitute game intelligence and is probably one of the most difficult things to coach because football is random. How often have you heard people saying words like “great vision”, “tactical awareness”, “footballing brain”, “composure on the ball”. Does the player take ownership of these responsibilities and carry them out or do they shy away? Responsibility – Football is a team game but each player has a set of responsibilities both on and off the pitch.This self-motivation to always want to better themselves by continuously learning and mastering can be a measure to the success of the player. Self-Motivate – You hear stories about elite players staying back for extra training or spending hours upon hours mastering skills and techniques.How do players react or respond to instructions, criticism and suggestions? Are they open to learning new things? Coachability – As a player you need to be able to accept the feedback from coaches and teachers who are there to help you improve your game.Either way will work and it is a great asset to have. You have leaders that organise and are vocal like John Terry or Tony Adams and those that lead by example like Steven Gerrard or Lionel Messi. Leadership – This is measured in different ways.Mental toughness – In times of adversity, how does a player react? There are many highs and lows in a football journey and this trait often distinguishes those that can handle the pressure and make it to the top.It’s that fire burning inside that comes to life on the football pitch. Often it is said that you either have it or you don’t. Passion & Drive – The ambition and hunger to succeed.It is a key ingredient in a footballers make up and often determines which level you play at because the higher up the football ladder you progress, the more important the mindset becomes. Mindset is a very broad area with many contributing factors so again this is broken down into smaller segments.