Push Your Boundaries to Improve Your Game
How do you improve your game to get to the next level?
What is the most critical factor for improving your play on the field?
Many soccer players feel stuck at their current level of play. These players have plateaued and feel they have maxed out their skills.
In our Mental Game of Soccer Survey, we receive a lot of questions about getting to the next level:
“I’m finding myself in a performance slump and desperately want to get out. I know how good of a player I am, but I don’t play to my full potential in matches.”
When you feel stuck, most likely, you become comfortable with your level of play. You go to practice, perform the same drills with the same level of focus you have for months. You scrimmage at the same level of effort as you have all year. You can’t understand why you are not improving.
You think, “I haven’t missed practice all year and am not getting any better. Maybe I’m not as good as the other players on the team.” You feel frustrated that you are not improving at the same rate as your teammates.
When you do the same things you have always done, you will get the same results.
Merely going to practice isn’t enough to get to the next level. You must practice with greater effort to improve your conditioning, hone your skills and put in the repetitions to help you play instinctively on the field.
Just showing up to the weight room and performing the same exercises at the same weight for the same number of reps will not get you to the next level. You will not develop your muscles or improve your strength staying in your comfort zone. To become stronger, you need to push just a little more.
Not working on your mental game won’t get you to the next level. A lack of mental training will cause you to stay stuck and continue making the same mental mistakes in games.
To play to your potential, you need to develop strong mental skills to build confidence, improve focus, develop mental acuity and foster mental toughness.
Getting to the next level requires you to get comfortable with being uncomfortable.
Take for instance USWNT soccer player Alana Cook… Cook, 23, is in the second year of her three-year contract with French Division 1 team Paris Saint-Germain. Cook chose to play in Europe because she felt it was the best opportunity to challenge herself to become a better player.
COOK: “I received an offer from PSG and it just felt too good to pass up… I think it’s definitely been worth it. I think anytime you have a chance to challenge yourself and step out of your comfort zone, you’re going to develop and going to get better.”
Getting to the next level demands pushing your boundaries. When you strive and work to be better each day, pushing yourself to the limits becomes a habit. If you truly want to get better, you must get comfortable with being uncomfortable.
How to Get to the Next Level:
Assess your skills today objectively, such as your ball handling, first touch, passing, shooting, defending, tactics, mental skills, etc. Rate each skill from 1-10. Be honest or ask a coach to help you with this task.
You are only as good as your weakest link. Pick the three lowest skills you scored on. Set a daily plan to work on these at home or during practice.
Be sure to set daily objectives to work on these skills–mini goals if you will–at home or during team practice.
Related Sports Psychology Articles
- How to Get to the Next Level
- Using Your Mind to Get to The Next Level in Soccer
- How to Develop a Competitive Mindset
- Subscribe to The Sports Psychology Podcast on iTunes
- Subscribe to The Sports Psychology Podcast on Spotify
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