The Mental Game of Soccer
Some soccer players want the ball in their possession in the closing seconds of a game while other athletes pray they don’t get the ball as time ticks down.
Which athlete do you (or your athletes) fall into?
Some athletes are overwhelmed by performance anxiety and have great difficulty closing out games and scoring the last goal…
Your mind becomes cluttered with ‘what ifs’.
“What if I miss? What if I lose the game for my team? What if the team becomes angry with me for missing the last shot?”
You become so anxious and tight, which leads to poor decision making and a lack of freedom.
Instead of trying to get open, you blend in the background. You basically opt out of the game hoping another player takes the last shot to decide the game.
You may feel that there is nothing you can do about confidence to closing out games or how to approach game-ending pressure situations.
That is where sport psychology comes into play…
You can improve your mental game about closing out games by applying proven mental strategies.
You CAN definitely be the player to score the game winning goal with some practice.
I saw this payout during the Orlando Pride game last weekend against Western New York Flash when the team captain Alex Morgan made the break-away goal to win the game in the 79th minute.
MORGAN: “When I got the ball behind I took a look up and I saw her immediately off her line… I had two players creeping up on me but the faster I could get off my foot the better… I felt comfortable and went ahead and got it.”
Head Coach Tom Sermanni said:
“In any team, you have those ‘million dollar’ kind of players and she’s definitely one of them. Those players change games. They make games and they win games for you.”
I’m sure Morgan has practiced her break-away shots repeatedly and rehearsed these game scenarios…
If you anticipate and prepare mentally for different game scenarios, you will have a feeling of “deja vu” instead of being overwhelmed by the pressure.
Good mental preparation is all about being prepared to cope with any situation you will face in sports.
Top strategy for developing a crunch-time mentality:
Write out a script for how you like to close out a tight game including: having the confidence to want the ball and the excitement of taking the last shot. Rehearse how you want to perform as time runs out and the excitement and celebration on the field afterwards.
Take this script and act it out in practice. Make it a part of your everyday routine. You will soon see your confidence and focus improve, as well as your mental approach to taking the “BIG” shot.
Related Sports Psychology Articles
- How Professional Goalkeepers Refocus After A Goal
- The Mindset of a Successful Goalkeeper
- Do You Try Too Hard To Score Goals in Soccer Games?
- Subscribe to The Sports Psychology Podcast on iTunes
- Subscribe to The Sports Psychology Podcast on Spotify
Download a free sports psychology report to improve your mental game!
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