Lean on Your Teammates During These Times
How has the coronavirus affected you athletically and personally?
Do you feel powerless during these pandemic times?
Feeling in control is the reason soccer players dedicate so much time to their preparation.
You train your body and mind by running sprints up and down the practice field or laps around the field during all kinds of weather conditions to prepare to be physically and mentally strong for a 90-minute game.
You run through dribbling drills, passing drills, ball control drills and scrimmages to build upon soccer skills and prepare for game-time situations.
Your coaches scout opposing teams to identify their tendencies in order to create effective game plans geared towards exposing the opponent’s weaknesses while taking advantage of your team’s strengths.
All these strategies are to prepare you and familiarize you with the various scenarios that might happen in a game. This comprehensive preparation provides you a sense of control because it gives you an idea what to expect during the game.
Unfortunately, the coronavirus is shrouded in unknowns. That is the reason why the coronavirus is so difficult to handle. Players feel a lack of control.
During the pandemic, you don’t know what to expect… When will the season restart or will the season be cancelled? What can you do at home to stay in shape? What if this continues into next year?
In addition, financial concerns, schooling logistics, loss of social contact and health of family members can add to the anxiety you already feel.
Athletic and personal issues can cause you to feel completely overwhelmed.
Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren expressed the difficulty he has experienced during the coronavirus pandemic.
LOVREN: “It hasn’t been easy as we have been locked up in our homes for 46 days now. The psychological aspect is the most difficult to overcome. I work out on my own as much as I can, I kick the ball around a bit with my son on our lawn, but training with the team is totally different.”
Most soccer players welcome a break from training and games to recover mentally and physically, but this unexpected break has proven to be mentally overwhelming.
LOVREN: “We need time off. This hasn’t really been time off because the players will need to recover mentally from the pandemic and the resultant quarantine.”
Understandably, when you are unable to exert control over your circumstances, you feel helpless.
You are faced with issues both personally and athletically. In order to process your situation and maintain a sense of team, it is important to stay connected to teammates and coaches.
Maintaining a connection with your teammates will help you feel you are not alone during these challenging times.
Finding Support During the Coronavirus Pandemic
Reach out to different teammates each day. Be there for one another. Ask your coach for tips on how to stay sharp mentally or ask for resources to help you process your situation.
When you can process your personal experience, you will come out of this pandemic mentally tougher.
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