“A team that thinks it’s going to lose is going to lose. ”Vince Lombardi Jr.
The football mental game is what separates the good from great. With the right mental skills strategies, you always be a cut above the rest.

Mental skills training gives you the football confidence needed to keep pushing forward despite the competitive situation.

Mental skills training improve football mental toughness.

Football mental toughness is the ability to focus on the challenge right in front of you.

Most athletes that lack mental toughness have a misplaced focus.

Mistakes will happen. How you bounce back matters the most. The 3-R’s will give you tools to recover from a mishap during competition. The 3 R’s can be used anytime you are in competition to help get “it” out of your own head so you can focus.

1. Recognize – Recognize that you have made a mistake. When a mistake has happened in a game you will often automatically know that a mistake has occurred. A teammate may tell you or a coach will inform you of the mistake made. This is no time to sulk or get frustrated because during competition there is usually a short window to regain focus before you need to be ready to play. Take the information from your coach, or self-correct the mistake in your mind.

2. Regroup – Regrouping is the 2nd part of the 3 R’s that allows you to do whatever it is you have to do to release the feeling you may have as a result of your mistake. You might take a deep breath, find a trigger word that helps you to refocus, or any other regrouping tool that you have in your arsenal of mental tools that can help you to move on after an error. This also has to be done quickly because once again in the heat of competition there is not a lot of time to be spent on regrouping before you may be called upon to perform again.

3. Refocus – The last R is to refocus your attention back in the game. When you refocus you have put away the mistake you have just made and moved on to the task at hand. The key here is to be in the moment and not think too far in the past and give no thought to the future. The only focus in competition should be strategy and execution of your performance in the moment play to play.

The great part about this mental performance tool is that your ultimate goal is to refocus your attention to what you are in control of which is the strategy in the game and the execution of your own level of performance.

If done correctly this tool leaves very little time for sulking and thinking of the past errors in performance.

You should always be focusing on the here and now of your performance during competition which will help you develop and play better.

Download the free mental game assessment and get started on Improving your Mental Game in Football