Mental Training for Soccer Competitions

Success in sports is often littered with unexpected challenges, doubt, and fear. Whether your goal is to win your first tournament or compete in Soccer State Championships, the right frame of mind and mental focus can make the difference between success and failure. As an athlete, mental training unifies body and mind, enabling us to make the right decisions, stay focused and strive for excellence. Here are a few mental training tips to help you during training and competition:

VISUALIZATION: As the name implies, an athlete should create a mental picture of themselves succeeding (before, during, and finishing the competition) Some examples of areas worth visualization include pre-competition preparations, winning the first half of the soccer match, outstanding transitions to keep ahead on points, and finishing the second half with a win and a smile. The more you practice visualization, the better you’ll get. At the very least we suggest for the week prior to your event that you spend 10 minutes each day visualizing the competition from the start to finish.

POSITIVE AFFIRMATION: This is a valuable tool for success inside and outside soccer competitions. As humans, we often become our own self-description. Therefore, athletes should strive to create positive thoughts. Positive affirmations are done in sessions where you are relaxed and you review your goals with success in mind. “I can win this game; I am a stronger player; I am light on my feet; and, I am having fun” are powerful examples of positive thinking which you can draw on when the going gets tough. Although this might sound silly, your performance can be improved simply by programming a positive attitude.

GOAL EMPHASIS/POSITIVE SELF-TALK: We tend to minimize our goals when in groups. However, stating your goals publicly and positively emphasizing your preparations can solidify your confidence for your event. Rather than make excuses before, your competition, look back at what you HAVE accomplished in training and simply let the competition “flow”. When the competition is completed, look back honestly and congratulate yourself on the effort while recognizing areas for future improvement.

By combining visualization, positive affirmation, and goal emphasis, you will give yourself the greatest chance of successfully achieving the realistic goals established earlier in the season. Those who say “can’t” won’t. Those who say “can” will at least give themselves the opportunity to excel.

mental training