How Abby Wambach Stays Motivated
At Soccer Psychology Tips we get a ton of questions from coaches and parents on how to motivate their soccer players…
Motivation is a tricky concept and not easy to teach, though everyone would agree on its importance. Motivation is an intangible factor that can be seen with any high-level soccer player.
Motivation is the drive and desire to strive for a goal and improve on a daily basis.
It is making a commitment to put your full effort into practice day after day. Most coaches spend a lot of time and effort trying to motivate their team. Why? Because they know that success comes from a combination of both physical talent and desire.
The well-known U.S. hockey coach of the 1980 Olympics, Herbie Brooks said, “You have to go into the jungle, find the lion, and spit in his face…then shoot him. You guys are not good enough to win on talent alone…you have to want it.”
When soccer coaches and parents contact us, they want to know how to fuel their athlete’s desire to be the best.
For athletes of all sports, motivation comes from their dreams and goals to succeed.
In soccer, this often develops at a young age when an athlete realizes they have enough talent to be great. They dedicate themselves to their mission of being the best they can be.
Staying committed to soccer day after day is not an easy task, and even the best athletes can question their motivation.
Abby Wambach, forward on the U.S. women’s national team said that at one point she questioned whether or not to continue in soccer…
“When you’re young and you know that you have big potential but you have a far away to actually get to that potential, you question, is it really because I want to do it or is it because my family wants me to do?… I stopped thinking about what other people wanted for me, or what other people thought I could do with this talent, and I started to think a little bit more about myself,” Wambach said.
Abby says that you have to revamp your motivation on a daily basis in order to move towards your goals.
“Motivation is internal, and motivation has to happen on a continuum, you have to continually motivate yourself to go out and push yourself beyond your own limitations.”
Here are some other tips to help your team get motivated:
- Goal setting – unite your team by creating a common goal
- Workout routine – take your individual and team goals and commit to daily improvement
- Mental preparation – When you feel prepared, you feel confident. Anticipate some challenges your team may face and find solutions to overcoming them.
Watch this video below and see more on how Abby Wambach stays motivated in soccer:
Download our free e-book, “7 Mental Game Challenges that Block Soccer Player’s Success”, and learn how to overcome other mental game barriers soccer players face.
Related Sports Psychology Articles
- How to Stay Motivated When Not a Starter
- How To Stay Motivated in Soccer
- Abby Wambach: How to Stay Motivated in Soccer
- Subscribe to The Sports Psychology Podcast on iTunes
- Subscribe to The Sports Psychology Podcast on Spotify
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