“If you can’t accept losing, you can’t win.” – Vince Lombardi

One of the most beneficial attributes an athlete can possess, while striving towards reaching peak performance, is a strong football mental game. The ability to block out all the internal and external noise enables the football mind to focus on the essential details that can impact on an athlete’s own performance in a positive ways.

One of the more frequently discussed football psychology issues, between football psychologists and athletes, coaches and the parents of younger athletes, is the athlete’s perceived need for social approval. While the desire to fit in is a strong human characteristic which has served society, at large, very well, there are many reasons that social approval has no place on the field or for taking up such valuable space in the athlete’s mind.

By seeking approval (from teammates, fans, coaches, media, etc.) an athlete runs the risk of becoming worried, anxious or even afraid during competition. In terms of psychology for football this is rooted in what is referred to as the fear of failure.

When athlete’s focus on the approval of others the potential knock on effects can result in having a negative impact on their overall mental game and more specifically in their football mental toughness, football confidence and composure.

In order to rise above the competition and become a superior athlete, the mind must be cleared of all non-essential thought. By achieving this calm mental state the mind is completely free to receive and process the required and abundant information that the body is constantly bombarding it with, before it can quickly relay the most appropriate response to each situation that the athlete encounters.

Clogging up the mental process causes an athlete to stall and make mistakes. This is due to the reason that an athlete, whose priority is approval and avoiding failure, will take less risk; we all know that without risk there is rarely any reward.

A defensive mind-set definitely has its own time and place for good use. However, more often than not, in competition and when attacking an opponent, it’s the bold athlete, the one that is confident enough in their own decision making abilities and physical attributes, that will be successful in making the required play.

The first step involved in overcoming this weak mental state and then working towards nurturing a strong mental game is for the athlete to become aware of their own thoughts and how they are holding themselves back by repeating them. With some help from a mental game coach, the athlete can take the first step towards their own path to achieving peak performance in football.

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