Soccer Mindset

I have been playing soccer ever since I was a little five year old boy in kindergarten. I always had thought that it was the physical characteristics of the players, such as speed, strength, height, agility, quickness, that separated the average players from the great ones. But after reading Soccer Tough by Dan Abrahams it has showed me that there is more to the game of soccer then just the physical aspect.

I have learned many new things that can help me improve my skill level vastly such as the psychological aspect of soccer. One thing Dan Abrahams mentions is that the soccer brain works in milliseconds (Abrahams 4). That the game of soccer is always moving and changing causing your brain to have to function faster. Abrahams states, "Players at the top of the world game today have approximately two seconds on the ball to make a decision before they are challenged" (Abrahams 5). This shows us just how sharp the athletes brains need to be in order to compete at the level they are at.

Abrahams talks about the mindset of a player and how it can affect the way he or she plays and impacts the game. If the player has a negative mindset, always thinking of the bad plays they made or the wrong decisions, it will cause them to be unsure of themselves when the time comes for them to make a key decision that could impact the game. He explains that having a positive mindset will help you to give you the confidence that will allow you to make the correct decisions on the field when needed.

I recently used this new positive mindset tactic in one of my soccer games. It helped me to picture the positive movements and actions in which I needed in order to put my team in the lead and win the game. I will continue to use this positive mindset tactic through out my soccer career.

What kind of impacts can you make throughout your community, rather then just athletics, by having a positive mindset?