“A lot of football success is in the mind. You must believe you are the best and then make sure that you are”. Bill Shankly

Playing football can be tough.

Many hours of practice and exercise, a strict diet, having to stay away from your family in most cases, all to prove one thing- you are the best.

However, sometimes when you feel most confident that you have reached your optimum, you draw or worse still, lose the game. Such scenarios can send your football confidence levels spiraling downwards.

The question then stands: Should football players seek perfection? Is it worth it? Does seeking perfection help you to improve your football mental toughness?

Below, we explore perfectionism and how it can be detrimental to your football mind.

Different Types of Perfectionists

There is a general belief that perfectionists are all the same. However, this is as far from the truth as it can get. There are different types of perfectionists:

• Self-oriented. This type of perfectionist holds themselves to exceptionally high standards. They seek perfection in all their activities, which makes them susceptible to negative emotions when they do not perform as they expect.
• Socially prescribed. Socially prescribed perfectionists use their perfectionism for the sake of others. They are self-critical, respond poorly to emotion and are anti-social.
• Other-oriented. These are perfectionists who do not have exacting standards for themselves but others. They loathe people who do not reach their standards.

Psychology for football classifies footballers in the first class of perfectionists. Since most footballers are performers, they tend to be critical of themselves when they do not perform.

What Do Experts Say?

Tracey Wade, a Professor at Flinders University’s School of Psychology, discourages the culture of perfectionism. She notes that having standards is okay, but that the pursuit of perfection can sometimes be a prerequisite for a downfall. She believes that some people display signs of “unhealthy perfectionism,” which is characterized by unusually high standards and brutal levels of self-criticism. She further describes how dangerous it can get:

Perfectionists who fail to meet their goals get stuck in a cycle of criticism, self-blame, and feelings of worthlessness.

Football mental strength requires players to recognize their mistakes and learn. However, this is a skill that perfectionists are not able to master because their minds are clogged with negative emotions.

Disadvantages of Perfectionism

An imbalanced sense of ambition drives players into self-destruction mode.

They are always fearful of outcomes, are anxious and try too hard.

Even when they should be focusing on the power of a team, their shortsightedness makes them think it is all about them.

A positive football mental game requires the input and confidence of all players, but perfectionists, especially those who have faced failure before are not confident of their ability to play well with others.

It is, therefore, vital that a football player understands how to strike the delicate balance between efficiency and quality to prevent an unhealthy sense of perfection.

Download the FREE Mental Game Assessment and get started on Improving your Mental Game in Football.