Stay Poised Under Pressure
Stop stressing… Don’t worry about it… Just relax… How many times have you heard a similar comment from your soccer coach or parents just before a big game?
Has that advice ever helped calm you down when you were anxious prior to the start of a game?
Probably never. Sounds like great advice but it gives you no practical direction as to how to stop worrying during a competitive match.
If athletes don’t understand their underlying fear or have practical strategies to stay calm, these common phrases are meaningless.
In our Mental Game of Soccer Survey, one player requested help with staying poised under pressure:
“I become so anxious before and during soccer games that I never play well in big moments. What’s the best way to calm down under pressure?”
Fear will influence your level of anxiety. When you focus on outcomes (messing up during a game or losing a game), your anxiety increases.
For instance, say your team advances to the playoffs for the first time in several years. You have never played in a playoff game in your career. Even though you had a productive season, you worry that you may let your team down. You don’t want to be the reason your team loses…
You feel panicked during the pregame warmup. As the start of the game nears, you fear making a huge mistake. You can see scenarios in your mind where you fail to clear the ball or close out on an attacker, leading to a game-winning goal by the opposing team. You feel the disappointment and exasperation in your teammates.
When you focus on the “what ifs” and possible outcomes before or during a game, you will feel more anxious. This loss of control causes anxiety to skyrocket and mentally takes you out of your game.
As you focus forward and try to predict what could happen during the game, the fear of the unknown cripples your game.
One way to gain back a sense of control and reel in your anxiety is to focus on the present moment, not outcomes.
Elite soccer players throughout the world have used different strategies to stay poised under pressure and focused in the moment.
Orlando Pride and Canadian veteran goalkeeper Erin McLeod has worked on mindfulness as a means to stay focused in the present and reduce anxiety.
With all the challenges that soccer players face, especially competing during a pandemic, staying present in the moment is essential for peak play.
McLEOD: “It’s crucial right now to be able to focus on the things you can control, to be able to focus and keep in the present moment which is when you have the least amount of stress and anxiety.”
“Focusing on the things you can control” means focusing on what you can do in the present moment. A present-moment focus doesn’t mean you don’t care about the outcome of a game; it just means you recognize that you have no control over past mistakes… and understand the only way of impacting the future is by staying immersed in the present.
How to Overcome Anxiety:
Telling yourself to stop worrying is not an effective strategy to manage anxiety or fear about how you will perform.
Learning mindfulness helps immerse you in the moment without analyzing or judging how you are playing.
Mindfulness includes strategies such as breathing, guided imagery, mental calmness and physical relaxation.
Overcoming your anxiety is a mental skill that puts you in position to play well rather than beating yourself on the field.
Related Sports Psychology Articles
- Do You Have Pregame Jitters or Anxiety?
- How Soccer Players Thrive Under Pressure
- How to Anticipate and Cope During 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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