Life’s battles don’t always go to the stronger or faster man. But sooner or later the man who wins is the man who thinks he can.
Vince Lombardi

The game of football is extreme in both what it requires in physicality as well as mental toughness. No matter the reps in the weight room or wind sprints on the field, a player lacking self-confidence will be defeated by his opponent. Developing the beliefs in one’s ability is essential, but it is also necessary to analyze your thoughts for any self-defeating behaviors that damage football confidence. This constant examination allows for a player to develop a strong football mental game and positive focus necessary to reach peak performance.

No matter what you desire to accomplish, it is critical to make sure that all your actions work toward that goal. Self-defeating behaviors negate other positive activities toward reaching a goal, making it take longer, or even impossible to attain. Think of the person who desires to lose weight yet still buys junk food, or the student needing to finish a term paper who procrastinates until there isn’t enough time to finish quality work.

The football player who wants to get faster, gain mass or strength, but fails to incorporate off season workouts designed to achieve these goals self-defeats themselves in much the same way. Another example would be an athlete that needs to understand the plays and executions assigned to their position, yet wastes time on other activities such as TV or video games. Any behavior that negatively affects your ability to reach a goal is considered a self-defeating behavior. The football athlete that achieves their best on the field will also be mentally tough with a strong focus and overall football confidence.

Another aspect of a negative thought process is self –induced intimidation. This occurs when an athlete’s focus is entirely on their opponent’s ability. If you constantly concentrate on how good your adversary is, then you inadvertently give them power by weakening your own abilities. You gain football confidence when your thoughts focus on YOUR abilities, YOUR strength, and YOUR execution on the field. You maintain no control over your opponent, so do not give them more strength simply by fracturing your attention.

One exercise effective in psyching UP for your opponent is visualization. No matter what you know about an opponent’s abilities, practice visualizing your dominance of them. Replay again and again in your mind the possible scenarios you may encounter in a game, and in every situation you play perfect, you execute well, you dominate all, and you win. The opponent holds no power over you, and your focus remains positive. This is much more effective than allowing your thoughts to be psyched out by intimidation of an opponent.

The mental game of football is crucial to finding success on the field. Football confidence is necessary to face and defeat an adversary with the physical play required to win.

Confidence is gained by putting in the necessary work, and also diligently striving to keep a positive focus and mindset. Eliminating self-defeating behaviors is one step towards a strong overall mental toughness.