Reaching the Next Level
Are you content with your current level of play? Do you have a plan to improve your soccer game?
What got you to where you are now may not get you to where you want to go.
A soccer player who responded to our Mental Game of Soccer Survey asked for help in raising his level of play:
“I know I am a good player. I play well in games but can’t seem to break out and get to the next level. Is there anything I can do to speed this process along?”
Talent alone will not get you to the next level. When you rely solely on talent, you can easily become frustrated. Even a little bit of frustration can zap your motivation and leave you feeling like you are stuck in a performance rut.
Next level play requires next level commitment and preparation…
You have the ability, but now you need a plan for what you need to do and how to execute the plan: For example, “What do I need to improve?” I need to improve my dribbling with my non-dominant leg. “How will I execute this plan?” I will go to practice 10 minutes early and work with my coach on dribbling drills.
Let’s look at the second part of your question, “How can I speed things along?”
You will need a bit of patience to develop this skill, but consistency and visualization can help. Visualizing performing the skill correctly or performing the skill effectively in games can help with skill mastery.
Diego Rossi is a 22 year-old forward for MLS club Los Angeles FC. In the four games after the hiatus from the coronavirus, Rossi has six goals and two assists. In Rossi’s two previous seasons, he played 66 games with a total of 28 goals and 16 assists.
Rossi’s teammate Dejan Jakovic has praised Rossi for taking his game to a new level.
JAKOVIC: “In this [2020] tournament, he’s showing everyone what he’s capable of doing. His biggest improvement since the start is his finishing. His accuracy has improved, his work rate is always up there, but creating those opportunities and finishing them is what separates him.”
Rossi’s high level of effort and focus on improving his game over the years was also recognized by his head coach Bob Bradley.
BRADLEY: “He’s worked hard on his finishing, you’ve seen the improvement there. Just a couple years he’s gone from a young player… to someone who is relentless.”
The common thread is not just hard work but hard work with a purpose in practice. Rossi has paid great attention to finish his scoring opportunities and that focused plan and effort has pushed Rossi’s game to a new level.
When you commit to a plan or mental strategies to improve your play and you focus on those skills or strategies each practice, next-level play becomes foreseeable in the future.
Next Level Preparation
The first question to ask yourself is “What skills and strategies do you need to work on to get to the next level?”
To help you with this question, you can enlist the help of your coach or a mental game coach.
Next, develop a plan for how you will improve those skills in practice. Part of that plan should include how you will work on those skills daily and how you will evaluate your progress.
Breaking out or getting to the next level does not happen overnight. Next level play requires consistent effort, commitment, and daily goal getting to improving your soccer skills.
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