“If you want to win, do the ordinary things better than anyone else does them day in and day out.”— Chuck Noll
Mental toughness is an important part of the game for any football player.
With the right level of mental toughness, the complexity and turbulence that players sometimes experience can be significantly reduced.
Understanding the elements of mental toughness will help a great deal.
In this article, I use football psychology to discuss the elements of mental toughness and how they work for the best of the athlete.
Elements of Mental Toughness
• Flexibility. If there is a problem, a flexible player will look at it from a different perspective and find ways to solve the problem. They will understand when they need to practice and when it is time to take a step back. Such players are open to re-educating themselves in the sport and do not fall back when faced with challenges. The football confidence level of such athletes is also high.
• Character. A player of character is well-mannered, focused, and disciplined. The football mind should be developed according to the traits that a footballer would like to see manifested. If, therefore. A footballer wants to be sharp and competitive; they would develop a positive attitude to practice resilience and stay ambitious even when they feel that they have significantly achieved big goals.
• Responsiveness. For a footballer to succeed, they must learn to be responsive. In whatever they do on the field, they should be able to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that face them and use them to create a workable master plan. Such players are usually ready to listen to their coaches and have no problem adjusting to meet their goals.
How to Build your Mental Toughness
Building mental toughness can be an uphill task, especially when the athlete is at the beginning of the journey. However, it is impossible, and within your reach.
Below are some tips to help:
• Practice. The practice is paramount in this process because it is only through practice that players can achieve excellence. If, for instance, a player does not go for practice, they are likely to develop key skills later than their mates who practice. The persistent nature of practice makes it a worthwhile venture.
• Keep your pride in check. As a football player, it is easy to forget that you are part of a team when you become the star or center of attention. However, it is worth noting that even the best players fail when their pride blinds them, and they begin to forget their goals as athletes.
Why Mental Toughness is Important to Players
Mental toughness is necessary because it helps players during good times and adversity.
Your team may be on a winning streak, and the fans, coach and team members may forget what it took to get there. However, with mental toughness, a team can realize that excellence is achieved through teamwork.
Without mental toughness, if a team fails, working through defeat is extremely challenging.
With mental toughness, the team can quickly bounce back and start preparing for the next game to win!
Download the free mental game assessment and get started on Improving your Mental Game in Football.
