“I am not a perfectionist, but I like to feel that things are done well. More important than that, I feel the endless need to learn, to improve, to evolve, not only to please the coach and the fans but also to feel satisfied with myself.” Cristiano Ronaldo
Football mental toughness is a measure of individual resilience and confidence that may predict great success in football.
It is a combination of both discipline and confidence.
Football mental toughness increases the chances of consistent success in football games.
A player that consistency seeks to improve their mental toughness ends up improving their confidence. Continuous consistency in this confidence can be seen in the performance of players.
Working as an individual on your mental game and doing it together as a team results in high performance.
How To Improve Mental Toughness in Football?
The only person who can increase your mental toughness is you.
As a player, you have to maintain your focus and mental discipline.
If you want to increase your mental toughness, the first question you ask yourself is if you are committed to meeting the challenges that may come your way.
Psychology for football suggests that these changes start from within.
Some key lessons to learn to improve your mental toughness are:
• Never stop evaluating yourself.
• Be relentless about improvement.
• Envision what is possible and work on it.
• Maintain a positive attitude when you experience a rough patch during your season or training.
• Have self-confidence. Be confident in yourself, even if you feel your performance is not up to expectations.
• Manage your competitive emotions.
How Do Football Players Develop Confidence?
The measure of confidence may vary from one person to another. Most players feel confident either when they are successful, experienced or when they have practiced enough for a game.
It is, however, important to realize that success is not a one-person thing and therefore, if one player feels confident enough, they can help the rest of the team gain confidence that leads to exemplary football performance.
Psychology in football is crucial to the development of confidence among players and teams.
Football players can easily fall prey to decreased confidence as a result of poor performance or remarks from other people.
To ensure that their confidence levels stay up, be confident in the skills you possess. Stay focus and work hard at every practice.
Download the free mental game assessment and get started on Improving our Mental Game in Football.