1

PSYCHOLOGY & SOCCER PERFORMANCE

INTRODUCTION TO SOCCER PSYCHOLOGY

What can a Sports Psychologist do to help soccer players ?

MOTIVATION
Throughout the season, the coach may have to deal with team motivational problems...

STRESS, ANXIETY & RELAXATION

Most players have experienced nervousness before a big game...

MENTAL IMAGERY
The process of practicing skills in your mind rather than through physical practice...

SELF-CONFIDENCE
A lack of self-confidence will have adverse effects on performance...

GOAL SETTING
An excellent way of developing confidence is to set your players different goals...

CONCENTRATION & MENTAL CONTROL

Very few players actually practice concentration as a real skill...

BUILDING A TEAM (PSYCHOLOGICAL POINT OF VIEW)

Coaches must take into account the personality of players when building their team...

TEAM COMMUNICATION
Good communication skills are vital for any coach and player...

TEAM SPIRIT
Attitude, discipline and behaviour all play a major role in deciding team spirit...

GETTING INTO THE ZONE

Guest article: Expert mental advice by Ed O'Keefe

INTRODUCTION TO SOCCER PSYCHOLOGY

WHAT ROLE CAN PSYCHOLOGY PLAY IN SOCCER ?
Over the last few years, the role of Psychology in Professional Soccer coaching has risen in
importance. The appointment of Bill Besick as Psychologist to Derby County FC in the English
Premier League has not only opened doors but has shown how this can help understand and
improve player performance.

Sports Psychology is playing an ever-increasing role in influencing soccer performance. At Ajax

football club in Holland, their selection policy of 18 year old players depends 80% of the time on the
intelligence and personality of the footballer! A Sports Psychologist can identify weaknesses in the
psychological make-up of a player and can provide the necessary counseling so that the player can
continually play at his optimal level of performance. Besick himself mentions that players and
coaches must look beyond physical and technical evaluation to assess underlying mental,
emotional and even lifestyle issues.

Testing the personality of the player may prove beneficial. The coach can have an idea of the
differences in personality between players and thus learn how to better handle this issue. Tests
have shown that successful footballers possess superior mental and emotional health (less anger,
tension and more vigour) than others who may need psychological support/counseling.

Sports Psychologists can also measure motivational and attention levels. Studies on Australian
football have shown that top teams scored highly in tests on factors such as drive, determination,
leadership and mental toughness. Similarly, a player's performance can depend on his arousal
levels which refers to the level of awakeness, attention and alertness. As arousal levels increase so
does the level of performance although there are optimal levels which should not be passed. Again
a Sports Psychologist can help find and maintain a player mentally at these optimal levels.

Once a Sports Psychologist has discovered the personality, motivational and attentional styles of a
group of players then improvements can be undertaken. Areas such as relaxation and mental
imagery (where players picture themselves performing particular skills and actions during a game)
can be used. Imagery self-hypnosis has been found to be useful as it allows players to narrow their
attention and remove distractions. Goal setting, concentration and self-confidence sessions can
also be implemented.

Keeping the team motivated and preventing players from becoming disheartened, feeling failure
and losing self-esteem is vital. Good interesting coaching solutions can help as well, such as
achievement through goal setting, sensation (through stimulating and exciting sessions) and
affiliation (feeling of belonging to the club). Any good coach will tell you that team spirit is vital for
success.

Studies have also focused on the coach-player relationship. Interestingly, Belgium trainers were
found not to have sufficient understanding and a bad perception of the soccer player's personality.
This could be due to the lack of effort to the psychological aspect of football in Belgium. Coaches
have also been subject of studies measuring their stress levels. There is a close relationship
between the game (greater heart rates at important moments) and high stress levels at certain
moments in the season. Coaches like players must learn to evaluate and manage stress in order to
ward off health problems.

Davey who has worked with many Professional Australian Footballers lists what he feels makes a
good player psychologically...

1/ Slightly extroverted personally, slightly anxious

2/ His motivation is high to win, confidence, coachability, conscientiousness and determination
3/ Incentive to achieve excellence & success, likes stressful situations, is aggressive and affiliative
4/ Mood profile is less tense, depressed, angry, fatigued & confused and shows more mental vigour
5/ He can process information, not overloaded and has high self-esteem
6/ He sets goals, practices relaxation, imagery and self hypnosis before a game.

A soccer coach or player should never feel any shame in calling in the services of a qualified Sports
Psychologist. The line between success and failure is very thin and players who are mentally strong
and have the will to win stand a greater chance of tasting success than those simply believing in
their physical and technical ability.

Click here to go back to the Soccer Psychology Home Page.

MOTIVATION & SOCCER PERFORMANCE

INTRODUCTION
In soccer, nothing can affect performance as dramatically as a sudden loss of motivation. Without
the motivation to succeed a player cannot survive the challenges soccer can throw up. If the team
or player is going through a bad patch then motivating your players becomes especially
important. However, an overly motivated player may be nervous and take risks. This article
attempts to look at motivation and suggest ways to help improve the motivational capacities of
players.

THE MOTIVATIONAL PROCESS

In general we distinguish between, personal self-motivation (intrinsic) and motivation from the
outside (extrinsic) by the coach, teammates, friends etc. By looking at the process of motivation,
we can see how this influences performance. Human beings are motivated to do sport for several
reasons;

A need to move & to play: To be active, expend excess energy & aggression, for self-
fulfillment, to take risks, to satisfy curiosity, make use of the hunting and adventurous spirit...

Ambition & Recognition: Various motives are ambition (win competitions), outside recognition
(from fans, family, teammates...), playing in front of an audience, sociability and social standing...

Overall, the motives and needs of players are guided by two basic factors, the hope of success
and fear of failure with experience generally showing that the former plays the major role in
motivating players.

Every player has a dream in soccer and some players pursue their dreams and expect to achieve
them through renewed hard work and dedication. Obstacles are seen as a challenge and each
setback as a call for more effort to improve and overcome these problems. This type of player is
intrinsically self-motivated as their desire to succeed comes from within themselves.

However, many players, often technically and physically good enough to succeed, fall by the
wayside due to a lack of self-belief to fulfill their dreams or the willingness to spend the necessary
time on the pitch or in the gym.

Generally, it is easier to work with highly motivated players as they only need decent objectives,
the environment and ability to concentrate as well as good technical, tactical and physical
coaching. However, these players still need to be looked after as they may become frustrated and
bored if they do not meet their goals or keep their performances up to expected standards.

For players who are under motivated, the coach needs firstly to convince and motivate these
athletes to believe they can succeed and secondly that only hard work will lead to success.

MOTIVATING THE TEAM/PLAYER

There is no perfect method for motivating players as this changes from individual to individual
and can depend on the current situation, such as the team's position in the league. The following
points suggest various ways to help motivate and sustain motivation in your players:
Balanced & interesting training: A disorganised and unbalanced training session can
demotivate players from giving their best. Plan well ahead and cater for the individual groups'
and team's needs. Remember variety is the spice of life ! Training should be both mentally and
physically stimulating. For players who are often substitutes, keeping them motivated is difficult.
Try for example to have a weekly game in which the head coach works solely with the substitutes
and an assistant coach works with the first-team but don't at any time put distance between the
players.

Setting objectives (Goal setting): Is useful as it allows players to have something to aim at
through a pre-defined plan to compare their progress at different steps over a period of time.
However, the effects of motivation depends on how attractive the goal is. Also objectives that are
too easy will lead to players being either overconfident and careless or if too difficult, players will
approach them with low confidence and hesitancy. Try developing a goal setting plan with daily,
medium and long-term goals.

Be enthusiastic, positive, honest and supportive: Your enthusiasm and positivity will rub off
on players. Mention the positive actions rather than the negative actions as often as possible. Be
honest about performance and be firm when making a point about areas that need improvement.
Offer suggestions on how to improve. Do not embarrass your players but do tell them what you
think !

Encouragement: Encourage fun and hard work in the training or competition. Always encourage
players when they are successful and unsuccessful and avoid complacency.

Be supportive, confident and respective: Remind them that they win as a team and lose as a
team. Always be ready to listen to your players worries and questions. Accept them for who they
are and for what they give to the team. Respect your players and they will respect you. Give
credit where it is due focusing mainly on the team as a whole and accept some responsibility for a
loss. Remind them that we all make mistakes and will learn from them.

Get to know your players and speak to them individually on a regular basis. Compliment them on
aspects of their game and mentioning areas they need to work in can help to further motivate
them.

Change of face: Players can get bored of the same old faces! Try bringing in new coaches with
fresh and different ideas, perhaps even on a short term basis.

Imagery & Motivation: Players can use imagery to mentally rehearse a variety of aspects, like
focusing on overcoming a technical weakness or mentally preparing for a match. Relaxation helps
as players are more motivated when they realise that they can control stress and anxiety.

Click on next for the rest of this article.

1
STRESS, ANXIETY & RELAXATION

INTRODUCTION
The pressure experienced by soccer players especially at a professional level is recognised as
influencing playing performance. Heavy playing schedules, competition for team places, the media
and fans as well as the pressure to win trophies all play a part in players developing high stress
and anxiety levels. Even experienced players can suffer from pre-match stress. Developing ways to
control this is important in order to prevent players from "falling" apart.

STRESS & ANXIETY

Stress is described by the Canadian researcher Selye as the "psycho-physiological responses of the
individual to any influence which disturbs his inner-balance". These psycho-physiological changes
do however depend on the individual's tolerance to stress. Stress as mentioned earlier can be due
to many environmental factors although illness and nutrition can also play a role. The individual
players' reaction to stress can involve aggression and anger or inversely, inhibition, regression and
fear. Players are more at risk of injury when stressed due to their attention levels being
disorientated.

Sports Psychologists can measure stress levels through specially designed questionnaires and by
using measurements of heart rates to discover the psychophysiological stress levels. The body
prepares for stress through the fight-flight reaction which is the response of the body preparing for
action via increased heart and breathing rate and the secretion of adrenaline.

Anxiety involves a feeling of fear or a perception of threat and which may be specific to a particular
situation. Possible symptoms are nausea, loss of composure, reduced motor coordination and
aggression. Potential stressors are the climate - temperature/humidity, circadian body rhythms -
maximum effort is harder in the morning, jet-lag, playing environment - stadium, spectators,
surface, game officials and finally stress created by opponents or between players and the coach.
The intensity of these influences on stress depend on the individual perception or inner experience
of the player.

When players are alert but relaxed, they can make better, quicker decisions during a match. An
over-anxious player will often make incorrect decisions. Athletes can as well be more motivated
when they realize that they can control their anxiety and are then free to play at their top level.

By getting to know a player well, a coach can sometimes diagnose why he is over-anxious
However, it may be difficult to get through to players suffering from anxiety thus much discretion is
needed. A coach can look for various signs such as moments of anger or loss of confidence and
players who no longer utilise their skills correctly. Players can as well become isolated and hide
away from their team mates or become aggressive and blame everyone else for their problems. A
good example is the centre-forward who has not scored for several games who may blame the lack
of decent service...

RELAXATION

As a consequence of stress and anxiety, those involved in soccer especially at top levels are
realising the need for pre-competition relaxation strategies. Helping the mental state will have a
positive effect on the physical state of the player. Players using relaxation techniques may be able
to control their thinking to remove tension and conserve energy. According to Bill Beswick a sports
psychologist who has worked in top level football for many years, the ideal performance state for a
soccer player is that of "relaxed readiness" - possessing energy without tension.

It must be mentioned that no relaxation technique is the best. Players should try various
techniques until they find one they like and practice it (perhaps 1 or 2 times per day) so it can be
used as a means to help in difficult moments. Many athletes seem to use Progressive Muscle
Relaxation (PMR) which allows players to learn the difference between relaxation and tension. The
player should lay comfortably, close eyes, breath easily, tense then relax all muscles and maintain
a passive attitude.

Some techniques also use different muscle tense-relax exercises along with breathing exercises
and meditation. Deep muscle relaxation is another procedure often used. A player forces his
attention onto his left leg for example and imagines it getting heavier and heavier and eventually
letting it sink into the floor! Generally, relaxation should result in decreased heart rate, blood
pressure, breathing rate and decreased body metabolism.

Anxiety can also strike during a game for example after a mistake. Bill Beswick lists 5 useful tips on
how to recover from this.

1/ recover breathing control

2/ ease the tension out of the body
3/ talk yourself back into the positive
4/ let the fear go
5/ review your goals and reactivate yourself towards achievement.

Dedicated books and tapes are available containing detailed methods for relaxing. However, before
using deep relaxing techniques, it is advised that any subject with a physical or mental disorder
should consult their doctor.

Finally, some soccer coaches or players may not like using relaxation techniques. Other methods
such as giving each player clear and precise instructions about his tasks and responsibilities
(during the team-talk), giving objective information about the opposing team, explaining the risks
to be taken and support he will have and giving praise may help to relax players and take their
mind away a little from the game.

CONCLUSION

In soccer, players may need to develop relaxation skills to counter moments of stress and anxiety
which are interrelated. Not only does relaxation help reduce stress and anxiety but can facilitate
rest and recovery. Players also need to develop a positive way of looking at the game during
moments of difficulty. The coach needs to be aware of the various signs and symptoms of players
suffering from stress and anxiety. A Sports Psychologist can help players to reach and stay at their
maximal potential.

Click here to go back to the Home Page.

THE USE OF MENTAL IMAGERY IN SOCCER

WHAT IS & WHY MENTAL IMAGERY ?

Mental imagery in soccer may be described as the repetition of a particular skill or movement
sequence using pictures rather than actual physical movement. In other words it requires players
to imagine themselves playing soccer. Imagery creates or recreates experiences that players
have "lived" and aims at familiarising players with their tasks. Other terms describing are mental
rehearsal and visualisation. There are two types of imagery:

External: Where a player experiences imagery as though they were watching themselves on a
video cassette.

Internal: Where a player experiences imagery as though they are actually performing the action.

It seems that internal imagery is more beneficial as it is more likely to recreate the actual
sensations of competition performance. However, external imagery may be useful to build up
confidence levels as footballers can see themselves "playing well" and also know that the coach
and fans are seeing the same thing...

So why use imagery ? Many players and coaches believe that it can help improve their game
through the systematic mental practice of skill and helps players to focus and refocus before,
during and after competition. Besick (sports psychologist for Manchester Utd) lists several
benefits of imagery for players and coaches:

- Reinforces self-belief and players see themselves as winners

- Learn self-control and developed strategies to cope.
- Practice mentally what they experience in the game
- Learn to focus and shut out distractions
- Improve relaxation and links mind and body to produce the right state of energy.

It can also be useful to allow players to visit the opponents ground prior to a match. This allows
the imagery about next day's game to become even more vivid and thus more effective. Players
can also use pre-match visualisation during their warm-up. They can rehearse their first
involvement in the game such as a pass or tackle and also the general quintessence of their
match play.

In certain situations such as penalty shootouts, a player with effective visualisation training may
be at an advantage. This can prepare them for the pressure of the kick by creating disciplined
performance routines. Thus, whilst preparing for their turn, they can be mentally rehearsing their
technique (already mastered through training and visualisation) and this will help keep their
confidence and remove any distractions such as crowd noise.

Visualisation may be useful in stress management. Players can ask themselves what if a stressful
situation arises and how they will feel. They can then visualise how they should react to regain
control. Imagery is useful alongside relaxation techniques to avoid stress. To read more about
relaxation in soccer, click here.

Another area where imagery can play a part is player confidence. Players who visualise
themselves as winners are more likely to succeed in soccer. Also, finding the right state of energy
is important. Mind and body are one so the body of a player who visualises positively, will prepare
itself positively through increasing energy. Of course, players who negatively visualise
performance will suffer and this needs to be turned around.

Finally, imagery can also allow players to rehearse skills when training is not possible. An injured
player can use imagery to visualise his injury in a more positive way and to mentally practice his
skills in preparation for being back in training.
THE MENTAL IMAGERY SESSION
When undertaking visualisation sessions, it is important to respect several major points in order
to fully benefit from this type of practice:

- Use consistent, short, intense sessions and build up them up slowly

- Use a quiet room where you will not be disturbed
- Be relaxed but alert
- Set realistic attainable goals
- Picture should be done in a real environment as is more realistic, e.g. a penalty kick in a game
- Perform the skill from the beginning to end and at normal speed
- Always imagine the action is successful & avoid rehearsing errors
- Try to feel the movement using all your senses - physical sensation, sight, smell...

Players must imagine themselves in action on the soccer field. They can clearly see the scenes,
the colour of the shirts, the sound of the boot on the ball, feel the ground under their feet, hear
the sound of the crowd and recognise the voice of their coach. Everything must be done correctly,
nothing negative can be allowed to affect them and everything is vividly realistic. Once players
have mastered the basic habits of imagery, they can start working on specific problems such as
technique - shooting, heading, passing, ball control...

It may be useful to have a written copy of a visualisation practice using a stimulus-response

procedure. This involves the stimulus from the situation (defender, pitch etc) and the response of
the player undertaking the action. For example, an indirect free-kick situation.

Stimulus: I see our player touching the free-kick and the ball laid off in front of me. I hear the
defence shouting "close him down" and see their defender moving towards me at pace, perhaps
too quickly. I see the goalkeeper positioned slightly to the right of his goal.

Response: I fake to shoot and pull the ball back onto my other foot. I adjust my body and make
room for the shot.

Stimulus: I see and feel the defender go past me and then see a slight gap at the left post. I hear
my teammates shouting "shoot". I see the goalkeeper, seemingly off-balance after my dummy.

Response: I see and strike the ball, feeling my head over it, my non-kicking leg next to it and my
shooting leg following cleanly through. I feel my body slightly overbalance as I watch the ball
whistle into the bottom left-corner of the net.

Analysing your session can be useful as well. Could you see and feel yourself perform the skills,
was it clear and at normal speed ? Were you relaxed but alert and was the picture clear ? Taking
notes can as well be useful for highlighting any weaknesses in your imagery session in order to
work on and gradually improve them.

CONCLUSION

Overall, imagery can be useful in helping improve soccer performance. The better players see
themselves and their performance, the greater the chance of success. Various aspects of the
game such as confidence, stress management, technique and game preparation can all be
improved using good visualisation methods. Remember, what you see is nearly always what you
get !

Click here to go back to the Psychology Home Page.

Don't forget to sign-up for our Newsletter for updates on the latest site content !

CONFIDENCE IN SOCCER
INTRODUCTION

Any coach or player will tell you that one of the most important elements in successful soccer
performance is the level of self-confidence. Vealey an expert in sports psychology describes
confidence as "the belief or degree of certainty individuals possess about their ability to be
successful in sport". When players are confident they can performs at their best level and it is rare
for successful players to have a persistent lack of confidence. Fig 1 below shows various factors
both in and out of soccer which may affect confidence levels.
Developing a good general state of confidence is vital for withstanding and recovering from
setbacks such as a defeat or a poor performance.

There are many characteristics which reflect a player's confidence and this can be observed
during training and games through body language and verbal comments. The following is based
on Beswick's (psychologist in English professional soccer) work in top level soccer and lists the
messages sent out by players who are high in confidence:

- high self-belief - a real "I can do it" attitude

- projecting a positive image through good body language
- enjoying and having fun in competition and training
- not unduly worried about losing or consequences
- calm, collected, concentrated, and high self-control
- don't feel the need to impress others
- accept themselves for the way they are whilst understanding their strengths and weaknesses

These characteristics may be attained through good coaching and management of players and are
essential for attaining success in soccer.

WAYS OF BUILDING CONFIDENCE

There are several methods to build up confidence in your players and team. One of the most
influential sources of confidence is often past performance - success breeds confidence and vice
versa. Thus what we might call a positive confidence cycle can be developed and this is highly
linked to the technique of "goal setting". This technique involves planning and setting goals in
training for a player to achieve. These can be short, medium or long term, must be challenging
but obtainable. For example, too difficult goals will result in players becoming frustrated. Coaches
should try to make training both fun and enjoyable. They should also reward good performance
with compliments and when failure occurs use praise/criticism techniques to advise the players,
e.g. after a poor shot:
Praise the player: "Good power in the shot..."
Criticise the player: "But I think you can improve the..."
Praise the player: "I know you can do it..."

Verbal encouragement and treating players with equal respect can play an important part in
attaining the right level of confidence, especially coming from experienced and respected
coaches. Players can also encourage themselves through positive self-talk - remember
Mohammed Ali's "I am the Greatest !". Transforming thoughts such as "What if I miss the shot"
into "I will get the next one in" or "I don't think I am good enough" into "The coaches must think so
and trust me as they picked me" will help remove inner doubt. Another source of confidence can
be provided by channelling the nervous energy produced from the stress-response into positive
thoughts. Feeling your heart beat strongly can be thought as "I am up for this" rather than "I am
scared". For more on preparing for stress and anxiety in soccer, click here. Players must also
place total trust in their personal skills (as well as in others) to win and be able to screen out
distractions.

Another means of building up confidence is the observation and imitation of successful players.
Coaches may want to organise demonstrations, videos and practices based on what players have
seen. However, care must be taken to ensure that players feel they cannot match that player for
skill or become frustrated through failure. Also, Mental Imagery may be employed as a means of
mentally rehearsing correct technique, click here to read more about this topic. The old saying
practice makes perfect is also important as a correctly prepared player will start a match knowing
they are at the peak of their form and are ready for all situations that may occur.

It is important as well that players who lose confidence do not concentrate too much on the one
area of their game where they are struggling and hide the other areas where they are doing well.
A good example is a centre-forward who is missing chances, concentrating on all the aspects of
his game such as build-up play and creating chances for others can avoid over-emphasing the one
big problem and allow the player to see their overall importance to the team. Beswick calls this
seeing the Big Picture.

Finally, a player's personal lifestyle will affect their self-confidence. Parents of younger players
must never let their egos and dreams get the better of themselves. Children need love, support
and understanding whether they win or lose. It is essential for players to have someone in their
life to share their feelings with and who can also help guide and provide encouragement.

CONCLUSION

Both the coach and player have an important role to play in building confidence. Players must
always look at the positive side of things, be correctly prepared, committed, see situations as
challenges not problems and trust themselves. Making sure of a correct lifestyle will also help
maintain confidence. A coach can heavily influence player confidence through a positive
philosophy as well as providing demanding yet attainable goals in training and competition. A
coach must through correct praise and criticism encourage players to better themselves and to
concentrate on every part of their game.

Click here to go back to the Psychology Home Page.

 Don't forget to sign-up for our Newsletter for updates on the latest site content !

1
PSYCHOLOGY - 3 MASTER KEYS TO "ENTER THE ZONE" EVERYDAY

INTRODUCTION

This weeks article based on the psychology of soccer was kindly written by Ed O'Keefe who also provides expert mental advice on his web site which can be
visited at http://www.secretsofcoaching.com.

The zone is an experience players get when everything they do seems effortless. They allow themselves to be an ath
and allow their subconscious mind to go on "auto pilot". The athlete is not thinking, "what could go wrong, who's in th
crowd, or will I get pulled from the game?" Instead they are, "in the game."

When people are in the zone the game goes by quickly. They play so well that they may forget what happens. This is
because the experience was almost unreal. The best athletes do this most often. They trust in their abilities and let
things flow. If the athlete has to think too much about what they are doing, the athlete cannot naturally react and
respond and the zone cannot be achieved.

Key #1 - Physiology

Physiology is how you use your body. How you breathe. How you move. How you warm up. Chemicals are released b
the brain which are directly related to how you use your body. Your body position, how you breathe, will dictate the t
of chemical your brain releases. This is important because when people are confident they have almost a certain wal
swagger. The shoulders are back, the head is up, with deep breathing. Taking this example and concept we can then
a soccer player, "How do you feel when you are playing your best, what does it feel like in your body?"

So, in preparation to enter the zone the athlete must access those movements and positions, so that when they mov
this way they start firing off signals to their brain, saying, "hey, today's the day and I'm going to perform as I did whe
was in the zone." The way an athlete moves will, in may respects, dictate whether or not an athlete plays or practice
well.

Physiology and how you move is something that is beyond just game day. The athlete should feel confident all the tim
When the player thinks about an upcoming game, they put themselves in a certain physiology. A player is asked, "th
of a team that you know you can beat." The player will have their shoulders back, their head nodding saying, "I know
can beat them!"

Then the player is asked, "think of the team that's number one in your conference." Their physiology will change. The
may become nervous and show signs of anxiety. Their breathing may change. Become shallower and more rapid. Th
situation can be altered if the athlete has the confidence to know that they, the opponent, may be good, but we are
going to find a way to beat them. This strategy can be used the week of the game.

I remember watching the end of a kick off. Both teams scored 4 goals. So it came down to the last two guys. One wen
up confidently, and put his ball in the back of the net rather easily. The next guy walked up, head down, and physica
looking like he had already lost. To make a long story, short, his attempt went wide left, not even close to being a go
One thing to note is that his physiology, then affected his thinking, and his internal images which affected his
performance.

Key #2-Positive Self-talk

So, as you can see, these three keys are all interrelated. When the athlete places themselves in a negative physiolog
the self talk is usually negative. The statement may be, "I hope we can win, we'll try and win today." Or they may ask
"Do you think I can cover my man? He/she is pretty fast!" Or, "I hope I don't blow the game for us today." The words
hope and try are all negative suggestions to the mind because they bring up doubt and bring up things that the athle
doesn't want to happen.
The key is to replace the words "hope" and "try" with "know" and "will". The player should say, "I know I'll beat my m
today." A goalie may say, "I am shutting down this team today!" "My defense is solid and I anticipate everything!" A
midfielder can say, "I have great control of the ball, and am controlling the game today." Even though mistakes will
occur, believe in what you can do by giving your body and mind these suggestions, allowing your body to respond th
way you want rather than in a negative way.

In developing self-talk the player must realize that they talk to themselves. Most players don't. The average player ha
50 to 60 thousand thoughts a day. Research says that 90 percent of those occur the day before. If you do the same t
day after day, those thoughts don't change. If they are negative, those thoughts will continue the entire life of the
person.

To change your thoughts, the first thing is to be aware of their inner dialogue. Notice the difference between when th
person is happy and feeling good and what they say to themselves. The player should think about it. With the same
concept the player should be asked "What do you say to yourself when you make a mistake?"

There will be major differences between the two. They need to be taught that when they start to say a negative phra
they should stop and say, "that's not true" and finish with a positive suggestion. An example would be when a defend
lets the other team get behind him or her and they score. Something might come into the defenders head may be, "m
I am terrible." Or "I always cost us the game!" The defender needs to be taught to say, "forget it, I'm turning this gam
around right now." "I always bounce back stronger after making a mistake." The next thing the defender needs to
immediately do is change their body position (physiology). This is how the two work together.

Another thing that can be done is to write affirmations. Phrases that allow the player to start programming their mind
and create a focus. Simple things like, "I'm a great consistent striker, I'm confident, positive and a team player." Thes
phrases can be put on a 3x5 card and put in a notebook, or placed in their room where they see it and repeat it day a
day. It should be related to what they think about themselves and what they want to become.

Key #3-Visualization

This is the aspect of zone training that most people are familiar with. Everyone visualizes. Some people may not be
aware of it. Visualization is the best way to preprogram for success in actions in future events. The best time to visua
is right before going to sleep. This is the time to play the scenario that the athlete wants to have happen in the game
may include what the opponent will do in trying to win.

The athlete thinks of how they and their teammates should respond positively to the challenges of the games. If
visualization is done prior to the game it should be done well before the game because when you put your self into w
is known as alpha state (necessary for visualization), the body becomes very relaxed. This in itself is good, but not if
athlete is not used to it before competition. This is an individual thing that players must be aware of.

Another good time to visualize is upon waking up in the morning. This is the fastest way of changing any behavior an
learning new strategies. An example is a player working on beating their man off the ball, and scoring. The player sho
watch the play go through their mind starting with 10 times, and keep repeating it until the skill is mastered.

Another situation is prior to the game and the images that a player might have, whether they be a negative or positiv
outcome. If the player is not confident about the chance of winning the game this puts the player in a negative
physiological state which will creates negative self talk which creates a negative outlook on the images of the game.
creates a cycle of negative feelings, and until you change either the self talk, images or the physiology, the players
performance will suffer and the opportunity of entering the zone will be lost. An additional negative factor is that the
player will take the rest of the team down with them, depending on their leadership role. The good news is that if you
change one factor, you change them all. A great place to start is self-talk. The player may feel that they are going to
have a tough time, but if the player says, "no way, we have the best staff and toughest strikers in the league, we can
a way to pull this out!," this changes everything. This is the breakthrough that coaches should look for.

Getting Ready for Practice

Following is an example of the mental preparation of a captain of a team prior to practice during the season leading u
to an important games to determine the league or national championships. When you wake up in the morning, after
visualizing an important task to achieve at practice, change the physiology.
Stretch, put the shoulders back and get the kinks out of the body and say, "today's going to be a great day, somethin
big is going to happen and I'm the one who will make it happen." This creates a positive outlook on the day. As the d
goes on one of the critical things the leader of the team should do is think about how they show up in class or social
environments around their teammates. This is the time to be walking with a confident strut and not walking around la

The captain can go up to their teammates and ask them if they are ready and tell them this is going to be a big day.
helps shift the internal dialogue of the players the captain talks to into a positive conversation. If two or three players
come into practice looking ready to go, pumped up through their positive physiology, this will raise the whole emotio
state and energy level of the team. The captain can also, before practice, give a few words of encouragement to
teammates.

What the athlete says out loud still is considered self-talk. The more this is done the more positive the attitude for the
team and the individual saying it. During practice the captain can continue to lead the team. During a specific drill th
can encourage teammates to give it their all because this will make the difference if the team was in a tight game or
sudden death. "They'll be tired but we'll be fresh because we did this drill hard."

Depending on the leadership qualities the captain can also hold other teammates accountable during practice. If play
are at 80 percent and missing simple passes they shouldn't be, it's up to the leader of the team to tell the others to p
up the pace and be more accountable. Little things like, "You can get that ball, you're better than that" can make a
difference. After practice the routine should be similar to before practice, going around and complementing teammat
and saying, "great job, we earned it today." Saying things like, "you've earned it" are important because its a by-prod
of what has been done. This releases a lot of the stress and anxiety because the hard work needed to win has been
done. All these factors add up to playing and practicing in the zone.

Ed O'Keefe started playing soccer, baseball, volleyball and other sports ever since he could remember. Growing up in a family of 13 children, and being the
youngest of 9 boys, there was no shortage of competition on the corner field where games were played. After being a multi-sport athlete for 8 years, he atte
Marycrest International University in Davenport, Iowa on a volleyball scholarship where he was team captain for four years. He was also conference MVP an
school male athlete of the year. While in college he established his own volleyball club, then after college began coaching at Second City Volleyball Club. He
studied self esteem and peak performance under Jack Canfield, author of Chicken Soup for the Soul.

He is a master practitioner in Neuro-Linguistic Programming. He has studied Eriksonian Hypnosis. Even though he excelled in the sport of volleyball, Ed has
taken the mental toughness techniques that he has learned and created and teaches them to soccer, baseball/softball players and teams of all levels so the
enter their own personal zone on a daily basis.

He coaches at 2nd City VBC where, in the last 3 years, his teams have finished 2nd, 11th, and 19th at the Junior National Championships. Ed has created m
materials for coaches showing them how to get more out of their athletes in 1 month than most do all year. Make sure you pick up your free special reports
#1 Secret To Sky Rocketing Your Team Without Spending An Extra Minute In Practice" at http://www.secretsofcoaching.com.

For more information on Soccer Psychology, click here.

If you have any comments or thoughts on this article please visit our Forum or don't hesitate to e-mail us at
[email protected] !
S
O
C
C
E
R
P
S
Y
C
H
O
L
O
G
Y

E
M
P
A
T
H
I
C

L
I
S
T
E
N
I
N
G

b
y

J
a
s
o
n

V
i
t
t
r
u
p
J
V
i
t
t
r
u
p
@
a
o
l
.
c
o
m

This article is taken from Jason Vittrup's upcoming book, tentatively entitled
Soccer Psychology. Each issue, a small portion of the book will be printed in
the Soccer Psychology section. You may also purchase Jason's videotape 25
Moves and Exercises (Order # 5042) on-line from Sysko's or at 1-800-932-
2534.

While at a tournament game, one of your most active players

seems only involved in the game a fourth of the time. He seems to be
mentally absent... a step behind, a dollar short, lackadaisical.
Something is just not right.
As coaches, we are by nature quick to prescribe an antidote. The
coach reasons (left brain) that there is not much time in the heat of
battle to really listen. At practice, we only have a couple hours--and
so much to get done. And at games? Even less time. Yet sometimes
the coach prescribes an antidote before really understanding the
nature of the illness. "Scott, where are you today? You've got to
move to the ball. It's not going to come to you? " And yet the player's
response is remote, almost as if the message were in ancient
Assyrian.

After the gmne, the player comes up to you and says, "I don't want to
play anymore. I'm just not having fun." Sensing that this might not be
a quick- fix situation, many coaches opt out with, "Well, if that's what
you want to do, I want what's best for you. " But what is best for the
player, many times, is to listen... really listen.

To be an effective communicator--a coach who can get a point

across-- you must also be a Qood listener Unfortunately, listening
seems to be one of those subjects humans hastily overlook. Listening
can be classified into four levels. The first is to pretend to listen.
Much of the message is tuned out. The listener appears to stay
interested: "Uh- huh...(Looking away)...Right." The second involves
selective listening, or listening to only what we want to hear. "Blah,
blah, blah...playing soccer...blah, blah, blah." The third incorporates
the primarily left-brained attentive listening. Words are concen- trated
on, but everything else escapes. The fourth level is that of empathic
listening. Empathic listening is based upon empathy, meaning to
"understand so intimately that the feelings, thoughts, and motives of
one are readily comprehended by another. "

Empathic listening is a high level of listening because the listener

tries to experience life from the other perspective. As the saying
goes, "To understand a person, you must first walk in his shoes. "
Feelings, thoughts, and motives are under- stood more by the heart
and eyes than the ears. If ears are the only method used for hearing,
much of the message is lost. Body language (stance, movement) and
sounds (tone, volume) tells more about the message than words.
Empathic listening is more right brained: holistic, intuitive, and visual.

People frequently avoid empathic listening because they perceive it

as a risk.One must be very secure in order to listen so deeply as to
experience the feelings, thoughts, and motives of another. Yet to
have influence, you must first allow yourself to be influenced. Unless
the coach, at the appropriate times, makes the effort to listen
empathically, why would the players make the effort to mold their
style of play for the coach?

So the coach commits herself to listen empathically. But during the

process, she is again tempted to become Ms. Quick-Fix by
recommending a solution right out of her own past. Her impatience
causes her to tear out a page from her autobiography because that's
"what worked for me." The assumption is, if it worked for me, it will
work for you.

As a result, the coach tailors the listening response into one of four
categories. The fimt is to advise, or recommend a solution based
upon the experiences of the self. The second response is to probe, or
to ask questions which spring from the experiences of the self. To
interpret is a third attempt to comprehend the motives or behavior of
another through self-comparison. And fourth, to evaluate is to agree
or disagree according to self-standards.

Obviously, these responses are selfish and do little to uncover

deeper feelings, thoughts, or emotions because they are primarily
left-brained. The heart of the matter will not surface (this time or next)
if every time a story comes out, it is probed raw, greeted with an
evaluation, smothered with advice, or subjected to interpretation. The
result is chapped players who provide reclusive one word answers...
"Fine, " 'Yep," "Nothing. " They chatter incessantly during practice;
yet when you pull them aside, body language says: "leave me alone."

To listen empathically is to understand, rather than be understood.

Empathic listening furnishes the psychological security needed to
release the innermost feelings into a more public spectrum. This
relieving of pressure is deeply therapeutic. And therapeutic healing
calcifies gratuity into greater confidence, improved communication,
and more fulfilling relationships.

To listen empathically, and avoid selfish pitfalls, one must ascend

four listening skill levels. The first is to mimic or repeat the content,
forcing the listener to digest the spoken word. However, this skill is
the least effective.

The second skill level consists of rephrasing the content of the

message, or putting the message into your own words. If a player
states, "I have a problem," you rephrase it, saying, "Something's
wrong."

Bringing further understanding is the third level, as the feeling of

message is reflected. More than rephrasing, reflection involves the
right brain because the receiver mirrors the emotion, feelings,
passion involved in the message. "I'm just not having fun anymore" is
equal to "You're feeling burned-out. "

The fourth level is more encompassing because it includes both

rephrasing and reflecting. The left hemisphere deciphers the
language, the right provides the affection. "I just have more important
things to do" is rephrased and reflected back as, "You're feeling
stressed about something you have to do." 'Yes! You see, I don't
really want to stop playing, it's just that my Father is telling me that if I
don't get straight A's, then he'll take my car away."

"He'll steal your wheels and that's a bummer."

"Big time, because then I can't see my girlfriend. "

"You'll miss being with your girl and you really like her."

"Very much. We're even talking about getting engaged."

"Scott, I care about you, and your relationships. I also think grades
are important. "

'Well, I really don't want to quit playing soccer. I just need to

concentrate a little more on grades. Maybe we could work something
out?"

"How about this: you make studies your first priority. If that means
missing practice, and a little game time, that's O.K. because you'll still
reduce the pressure from your Dad while enjoying playing soccer.
When you get your grades up, and feel like you can come to every
practice, we'll re-evaluate then. Sound fair?"

"Yeah. Thanks a lot coach. "

Because the coach listened empathically, the player felt relaxed

enough to open up, to get to the heart of the matter without becoming
defensive, short, or frustrated. Psychologists refer to this feeling of
having enough room to breathe as psychological air.

Empathic communication rearranges the nature of the opportunity.

Rather than simply an exchange of information, the talk promotes
change or transfor- mation. During this process, the player will go
from emotional to logical. while the passion, the concept, and intuition
for the effort is generated from the right hemisphere, it is from the left
hemisphere that problems are managed in a logical manner. when
the player arrives at this logical stage, the coach has a better
opportunity to inquire, to advise. If the player returns to an emotional
state, it is beneficial to return to listening empathically, until the
logical state returns.

Again, many will argue that to listen empathically requires more time
than is available. And this is frequently the case. Certainly during the
midst of a tumultuous game, there are few moments in which to
compose such masterpieces. Taking the time to purchase and install
a smoke detector takes time too. And how many lives have those
investments saved? Empathic listening is worth the investment.

POWER TALK
by Jason Vittrup
[email protected]

This article is taken from Jason Vittrup's upcoming book, tentatively entitled
Soccer Psychology. You may also purchase Jason's videotape 25 Moves and
Exercises (Order # 5042) on-line from Sysko's or at 1-800-932-2534.

The words coaches use when speaking to players are very important. How
important? Consider the effect the words of the Bible have had, or those of the
Emancipation Proclamation. These words are not merely scribbles on a piece of
paper. They have changed the world, affected more people than imaginable. Does
the English language have a word that means, precisely, "the effect of the written
word on the uncountable?" Not really. For this reason, we have a hard time
experiencing the reality of the situation. Sure, we might be able to come close to
what we think is visualizing it, or experiencing it through a feeling, but the
additional dimension of articulation brings it to life. It becomes a reality that can be
translated to others. The point is, without words to symbolize something, it is very
difficult to experience. With words, however, change can be induced on a grand
scale.

Words are the building blocks of symbolic systems. They enlarge the mind's
capacity to store stimuli, and open the way to abstract thinking. From the Greek
original logos, words enable one to think logically. The power of a simple change in
words can be seen in the experience of PIE, a national trucking service. A number
of years ago, PIE discovered that it was losing more than a quarter of a million
dollars a year because of mistakes by its own employees...mislabeling containers,
misidentifying products...simple mistakes. After researching the cause, the
company discovered that 60% of their products had problems. So PIE decided to
change how their employees perceived themselves. By changing their perception,
PIE hoped the employees would change their commitment to quality. So one small
change in vocabulary was made.. -from now on, the employees were referred to
not as truckers, not as workers, but as craftsmen.

Initially, people thought the change was rather silly. What was the difference?
The job was still the saute. But after a while, the employees began referring to
themselves as craftsmen, and their perception changed. In less than thirty days,
the mistakes were reduced to less than 10%, all beginning with the change of one
word.

The moral is this: if the only thing that changes is the word, then the
experiences are scarcely affected. But if words succeed in changing routine
emotional patterns, nothing is the same! Below is a list of words that can change
the emotional state attached to both life and soccer: try becomes will, problems
become challenges, substitutes become contributors, overtime becomes action
time, losses become learning experiences, long distance runs become tension
relievers, frustrated becomes temporarily blocked, practices become
developmental sessions, wasted becomes unresourceful, comer kickers become
crossing specialists, lucky becomes opportunistic, fear becomes inaction, setback
becomes feedback.

Everything a coach does or says must have a positive impact upon his team, no
matter how insignificant or small the matter seems. For instance, telling a player to
"play the ball to your teammates so we can keep possession" has a much more
positive effect than telling them, "Quit turning the ball over! " The player told in this
manner is possibly more rattled now than if the coach had said nothing. To
understand why, we must understand the psychology behind the statement.

Despite what are probably good intentions on the part of the sender, the
message received is loaded with explosives...beginning with the word "Quit..." Quit
rarely brings to mind fond memories. Whenever you hear it, somewhere in the
back of your mind, you might remember all the times someone called you a
'quitter'; or occasions when something was absolutely no fun, so you decided to do
something else; or maybe the feeling of getting scolded for a certain behavior.
Whatever the reaction, chances are, the receiver of the message has already been
subconsciously sent into a negative state, with one word.

The human mind, upon hearing the phrase "turning the ball over, " records it
and, consciously or subconsciously, is further tempted to plummet. Why? First, we
know that the subconscious mind records everything. This is why through
hypnosis, the human mind is capable of revealing detailed information about even
 the most trivial matters. The player's mind is likely to record the negatives and,
deep inside, allow them to fester, to infect, to wound. If the subconscious gets
consistently plastered with negative statements, it is likely to either believe them
(which lowers self-esteem), or resent them (which leads to rebellion).

Secondly, I bet many of you reading this are visualizing the meaning of these
words, "turning the ball over." Obviously, this is an image of failure. Intense
visualizations have the ability to cause the body to respond in ways consistent to
that experience. The body has very little recourse since it cannot distinguish
between reality and perceived reality. So players who are told to quit "turning the
ball over" are more likely to physiologically respond with increased anxiety...sweaty
palms, a higher heart rate, tightened muscles, and a repeated visualization of
failure...than if nothing had been said at all. Negative statements are most
successfully used as a last resort...when all else has failed.

Contrast this with the positive statement, "Pass the ball to your teammates."
Remember: words send as many, if not more, subconscious messages as they do
conscious ones. This phrase allows the player to visualize himself succeeding. Any
time we have an image of ourselves succeeding, our chances for success have
already skyrocketed. Why? Because the body begins to correspond with that
vision: the muscles relax, the breathing process becomes deeper, the heart rate
slows down, anxiety dissipates, and there is a progressive image to follow.

But even more importantly, the player receives a message from the coach that
says, "I have high expectations of you. I expect you to succeed." If that message is
consistently sent, and it is sincere, it is hard for the player to do much less than
adapt. And instead of causing a possible rebellion by using negative motivation -
threats, sarcasm, shouting at him, cynicism - the coach now plants a seed for
desire within that player. The bottom line is this - threats, sarcasm, being cynical,
and shouting may cause the goose to lay one more golden egg, but it might be the
last.

Finding and Working on

IndividuaI PsychoIogicaI Weaknesses
by Jason Vittrup

This article is taken from Jason Vittrup's upcoming book, tentatively entitled
Into Soccer Psychology. Each issue of Soccer Sideline will feature a small
portion of the book in the "Soccer Psychology" section.
You may also purchase Jason's videotape 25 Moves and Exercises
(Order # 5042) on-line from Sysko's or at 1-800-932-2534.
 In the last issue, we took a look at how to specifically locate a player's
psychological weaknesses, accepting that every player can improve
in one area or another. Efficiently finding those weaknesses meant giving
each player a test.. - the 'Deficiency Indicator,' a type of psychological
profile examination. Players grade themselves, and each other, with the
result being the identification of psychological weak spots. In some
instances, such psychological weak spots might be a constant source of
irritation to the coach without the test! The question is, how do we get
the player to strengthen those vulnerabilities? Remember: a chain always
breaks at it's weakest link! Let's say Billy tested out as needing help in the
following four areas: problem solving, passive, physically unfit (being
psychologically strong and physically fit go hand-in-hand), and
unwilling to take risks. Now coaches and parents, in unison. -- 'What can
we do about it?" While not the only way, try:

1. Making index cards: Make three index cards for each weakness. The
idea is for the player to fill in the blank: "Desired Behavior: ____________"
Notice Billy writes down his Perfect Self, rather than what he has been. The
more people see themselves as how they wish to be, the more they adapt.
At bottom, the player signs his name and date. Tape the cards inside
lockers, on the mirror, next to bed, inside notebooks, etc. What a powerful
message: selfgraded, completed, and signed.

2. Writing a plan of action: This is nothing more than a half page per weakness.
At the top of the page is the phrase, "This is how I will _________________ "
Notice the player fills in how he wishes to see himself. The plan determines
what specific actions will be made to accomplish the desired behavior.
Sometimes, just coming up with a plan is enough to start progress.
This map highlights the road to success.

3. Using visualization cards: These reminders serve as prompts, 30 seconds

per situation, to get the players visualizing a picture of success - themselves!
The card says "Desired Behavior: " followed by three spaces to describe
what will be visualized. For instance, for aggression, Billy may see himself
holding a defender off while keeping the ball; taking the ball away from an
opponent who has kicked it out too far; and the image of telling himself to
be aggressive while on the field.

The idea is to identify the weaknesses, come up with a plan of attack, and keep
the solutions consistently front and center. Goodluck!

Affiliated to the M.F.A. and F.A.I.

TACTICS: SET-PLAYS - ATTACKING PLAY

INTRODUCTION

It is often mentioned that a large percentage of goals arise from "dead ball" situations. However,
many teams do not devote the necessary time and practice in training to improve their set-piece
play. This is especially important as these situations arise regularly throughout a match and it
makes sense to improve the prospects of making the most of them.

Various advantages such as the opposition being a certain distance away from the ball can give
the edge to the attacking team in these situations. Also, striking a motionless ball is technically
easier and the attacking team can push many players forward into dangerous positions. It is not
only the greater amount of attackers which can make the difference, but set-plays allow players
to take up various positions which suit their individual strengths (e.g. tall central defenders
positioned at the near-post to flick the ball on).

The greater the time spent practising and rehearsing dead-ball situations, the more fluid and
accurate the performance will become. Teams which are well-drilled have usually developed a
good level of concentration due to increased discipline as players know exactly what they should
be doing. Set plays rarely need to be complex, teams should aim to optimise their timing,
accuracy and disguise and capitalise on their own strengths and the opposition's weaknesses
respectively.

Although most teams do not deliberately set out to win dangerous set-plays such as corners and
free-kicks, positive general play can lead to them to win this type of situations. Putting pressure
on defenders can force them into mistakes and give away free-kicks and corners in deep
attacking positions. Dribbling at defenders often results in the defender having to put the ball out
of play as do balls behind the back line. Likewise, good crosses put defenders under pressure and
force them to challenge for the ball and give away corners and throws. Finally, the more a team
shoots, the greater the possibility of a set-play resulting from the shot being deflected.

The main aim of practising dead-ball situations is to improve the creation of a scoring opportunity
and to increase the team's chances of scoring directly. Training should concentrate on:

Choosing the best possible set-play combination: The team must decide which combination to
use, depending on the particular situation and the players available. The specific combination
should only require players to concentrate on carrying out the actions practised in training and
should always be chosen pre-match.

Specific Training: Players who are to be involved in set-piece play are chosen by the coach for
specific training sessions where the moves will be carried out in great detail. These sessions will
concentrate on perfecting the timing of player movements in relation to the kick. When
rehearsing set-plays, it may be advisable to start off with a few players before building up to
playing against defenders. The coach must create interest and encourage players as this type of
training can easily result in players becoming bored. Furthermore, avoid set-play training on cold
and wet days and make sure that players who are not participating to the session are active
elsewhere.

Training the situation in game situations: It is far more easy for players to successfully carry their
pre-rehearsed tactics in training than in match conditions. However, through introducing already
practised dead-ball situations into training games, the transition can be made easier. Players
must learn to adapt in game conditions to concentrating on their specific set-play role i.e.
movements and actions. They will also get a better idea of how these situations work in reality.

The coach and players will use this type of practice as a tool to measure the effectiveness of the
previous training. The players will be tested on their capacity to choose the right combination,
adapt their positions and carry out their own actions.

Finally, coaches should be careful when trying to introduce variety in their set-play situations. The
best variety is taking an already successful set-play and varying it (whilst still mastering the
basics) to keep opponents guessing. Introducing many different plays can confuse players and
make them forget the basics of their play. The set-play situation should above all, be simple and
direct.
CORNERS

Well thought out corners are difficult situations for the opposition to defend against and often
lead to goals being scored. The offensive tactics used in corner kicks and the positions of the
players used often depend on several factors:

Attacking ability: Does the attacking team have players who are strong in the air or are they
technically god enough to play the ball into the front post ?

Defending ability: Is the opposition goalkeeper good at clearing aerial corners and are the
defenders known for their heading ability ?

Playing conditions: Does the attacking team play the ball directly into the penalty area knowing
that the goalkeeper will have difficulty catching it due to the rain ?

Generally, the offensive strategies for corner kicks are based around:

Number of players: The greater the amount of players (attackers and defenders), the greater the
degree of difficulty for the goalkeeper to get to the ball. It can be useful to have players acting as
"troublemakers" to disturb the oppositions defensive plan.

Type of corner : In-swinging, out-swinging, near-post, far-post and short/medium corners can all
lead to scoring opportunities.

Variety: Variations are useful in keeping the opposition guessing. However, a team who wins
several corners in succession from an in-swinging near-post corner, by suddenly playing a short
corner, this may take the pressure of the opposition. If the coach and players feel the opposition
will eventually "crack" then keep the delivery similar, simple and direct. Otherwise a good
example of variety is if a player notices that the defence is closely marking the near post, then a
far-post corner may be played instead.

As mentioned earlier, there are different types of corner kicks (Fig1) and a team must be able to
use all the following tactical options.
 Fig 1 - Variations on corner kicks

1 - Right/left foot short corner from left side immediately followed by a cross
2 - Right foot out-swinging corner from right side into the centre of the goal
3 - Right/left foot medium corner played back to the player taking the corner
4 - Right foot in-swinging corner from left side hit into the near-post area

In-swinging Corner: A FIFA report on the 1982 World Cup showed that in two out of three goals
scored from corners, the ball was played to the near post showing the importance of playing in-
swinging corners. The player taking the corner must be capable of providing regular accurate
delivery. The ball should be played in between head and bar height to the front part of the 6 yard
area. At least one attacker with good heading ability should be positioned to flick the ball on. It
can be useful for the playing taking the corner kick to try and drop the ball slightly in front of the
player flicking the ball on so that he has to move forwards and bend to flick it on. In this way, it is
very difficult for the defender to challenge for the ball.

Other attackers may be positioned in the 6 yard box to block the goalkeepers view. When the
corner is kicked, they may move out of this area and back in to create space. There should be
players in the centre of the goal and at the back-post in case the ball is flicked on. These player
must be careful not to get caught offside if the ball is cleared and played back in.

In-swinging corners played deep to the back post should not be neglected. This can catch the
defence out, especially if a player with good heading ability makes a run to the back post area to
play the ball back in to the danger zone.

Out-swinging Corner: This type of corner produces less goals than its in-swinging counterpart. It
can however be useful and should be practised when a team has no player to take an in-swinging
corner. Also, out-swinging corners hit into the middle of the goal can make it difficult for a
goalkeeper to come out and clear and if met correctly by the head of an onrushing player may
bring about goals.

Short/medium Corner: Here, the aim is to widen the angle and achieve a better position for the
cross (nearer to goal) by playing the ball back to a team-mate close to the corner flag. Short
corners take advantage of the fact that defenders have to be around 10 metres from the kick.
This is especially useful if the attackers have numerical advantage in this area. If no numerical
advantage is available (at least one player free in space), short corners may end up being
wasteful.

When the team plays a medium corner, this usually involves a player making a run from inside
the box (the player positioned at the near-post) to receive the corner pass. He can either turn if
not followed and shoot or cross or play the ball back to allow a cross from a wider angle. It is
important that the initial run is disguised and only made when the player starts to take the
corner.

The role of the players waiting in the penalty area for the cross is important. Coaches should
encourage players to switch positions, provide movement to create space and lose markers.
Having players making runs at speed from the edge of the penalty area as well as positioning
players in the 6 yard area can be constructive (as mentioned earlier). Also, players should be
encouraged to make decoy runs and try to take defenders out of position to create space. These
movements should be really emphasised in training practice.

It is also useful to have a player on the edge of the penalty area to intercept and shoot from any
cleared balls. Teams may want to develop signals for choosing different tactical ploys at corners
although they should be aware of the opposition working these out. Finally, it may be of use if the
ball is cleared from a corner, to play it back in quickly as defences can lost their shape and
marking as they think their job is done (forwards should however be beware of being caught
offside).

So what are the important points in organising and analysing practice ?

A full-size pitch and goal should always be used. At first, practice the corner without defenders.
The coach may want to start off by simply concentrating on the attackers positioned in the 6 yard
area and then introducing more forwards (making runs from deeper positions) and eventually
defenders. All types of corner kick must be practised and the timing of the movements in relation
to the ball being kicked have to be perfected.

Only once the situation has been mastered without defenders should the latter be brought in.
Defenders should be instructed to position where they please. Between 5 or 10 corners can be
taken from both sides of the pitch and a competition introduced. Avoid corner kick practice if the
weather is cold and make sure players do not get bored through getting everyone involved and
giving lots of encouragement. Coaches may want to surprise teams by giving a corner when
unexpected, for example if the ball goes out for a goal-kick, instead he awards a corner.

There are various parts of the kick which need to be carefully analysed by the coach:

1/ The technique and accuracy of the corner kick.

2/ The effectiveness of all the attacking player positions and movements, the timing of the
movements in relation to the kick and do the attackers create space and lose markers ?
3/ Was the choice of taking short and medium corners or in/out swinging kicks the good one ?
4/ The success rate, number of goals or scoring opportunities created.
5/ Analyse the mental attitude of the players, are they determined to be first to the ball and is
their discipline good (avoid giving away needless free-kicks) ?

Affiliated to the M.F.A. and F.A.I.

TACTICS: SET-PLAYS - DEFENCE

INTRODUCTION

Roughly half the goals scored in soccer arise either directly or indirectly from set-plays, that is to
say from free-kicks, corners and throw-ins (see Figure 1). It therefore makes sense to plan
thoroughly so that your team can defend efficiently at set plays to give away as few goals as
possible. However, prevention is better than cure and a team which avoids giving away needless
set plays in their own defending third will make it more difficult for their opponents to score.

Free-kicks are a major source of goals. Defenders who lack discipline and make poor challenges
leading to free-kicks do so at the benefit of the opposition. Similarly, defenders who lack
composure and technique when in possession in their own half, often lose the ball and give away
free-kicks when put under pressure. The same goes for defenders who lack the necessary mental
and technical skills to clear the ball, often put their team under pressure through needlessly giving
away corners or throw-ins. So why are set plays so dangerous ?

1/ Many attacking players can be moved into pre-planned attacking positions and carry out pre-
rehearsed moves.
2/ The player taking the free-kick or corner cannot be pressurised as defending players must be a
certain distance from the ball, allowing him the means to make the most of his strike.
3/ The ball is "dead" making it easier to strike.
4/ Players cannot be offside directly from a throw-in or corner.
5/ The defence may not be properly organised with defenders out of position, especially when
dealing with the opposition's pre-planned attacking moves.
6/ The defender's concentration may drop due to them having moved into their position and
feeling they have done their job, especially as the game has stopped.
7/ The large amounts of players in and around the penalty area make it difficult for a goalkeeper
to see the ball and his movements may be blocked when going for the ball.
8/ When free-kicks are struck directly from outside the penalty area, the ball can be deflected
leaving the goalkeeper with no chance to save or this can lead to a secondary shooting
opportunity.

From this, we can see the importance of implementing correct defensive tactics to minimise the
risk of conceding goals, not only from free-kicks but from set-plays in general. Firstly, once the
set-play has been conceded, the players must quickly sum up the situation and take up correct
defensive positions in relation to the ball. This should be prearranged and rehearsed in training to
allow the defenders to better concentrate on their own specific defensive tasks (marking, space
coverage...).

Defensive planning and organisation needs to be carefully thought out. When players have been
previously drilled on what to do their concentration is often better. Discipline is all important as
the outcome will depend on each player correctly carrying out his assigned job. Overall, the major
difficulty of a team when defending set-plays is whether to mark opponents or to cover space and
to find the best possible balance between the two.
CORNERS

There are several methods which can be adopted to make up for the tactical advantage of the
opposition when defending at corner-kicks:

Mental skills: Defenders must be calm, composed, organised and take charge of the situation.
They must be disciplined as well as courageous and determined - always be first to the ball.

Defence in Numbers: Every member of the defending team can be brought back to positions in
and around his own penalty area or two players may be left up the field in order to take
advantage of any possibility of a counterattack The defence should always outnumber or at least
equal the opposition.

Covering the posts: Two defenders can be positioned on each post to help the keeper. The
defender on the near post should not obstruct the keeper's view (1 metre away and slightly in
front of the post - see Figure 2). His major concern is the space in front of him as the goalkeeper
and other defender are covering behind, especially when corners are hit to the near post. The
defender on the far post should be positioned on the line for the best possible view. These
defenders are useful in not only clearing shots off the line, but in covering the keeper if he decides
to attempt to punch or catch the ball. If the ball is cleared, both should attempt to move out as
quickly as possible so as not to play the opposition onside.

Covering the penalty area: Many goals are scored in and around this area, especially from
headers. The front of the goal must be covered by several defenders. Defenders can adopt a
"Zone Marking" policy where each defender is responsible for a particular space. If the ball enters
this area, he should challenge for it and prevent any attacker from gaining possession.

Otherwise, a man-to-man marking method may be employed. This involves an attacking player
being designated to a defender who must follow him at all times. Tall defenders are often moved
up from the back to capitalise on their heading ability. Close marking by defenders (who should
match them in terms of size and heading ability) can help prevent them creating chances or
scoring goals. Some teams may find it useful to combine "Zone Marking" and "Man for Man
Marking" This allows different areas to be effectively covered whilst the most dangerous attackers
are closely marked.Figure 2 below demonstrates a well-balanced variation on player positions
during a corner-kick. If the ball is played either to the near or back post, there is adequate cover. If
the ball is played into the penalty spot area or outside the area (especially if another attacker is
introduced into the area of the kicker for a short corner), then cover is also available. The weak
factor is if the ball is cleared, then there is little possibility of a counterattack and if the opposition
team quickly regains possession, pressure can be immediately put back on the defence.
Generally, player positions should be based on the opposition's formation and moves. If for
example, the opposition places a player with good heading ability at the near post, the defence
may want to place another defender in front of him so he is "sandwiched" to reduce his potency.

Here, all the team is back defending: 1 player is positioned to block the corner (here positioned
for a left foot in-swinging kick), 1 defender per goal post, 2 defenders covering the near-post area,
2 defenders positioned at the back post & 3 covering the inside & outside of the penalty area.

Blocking the kick: Positioning a player 10 yards from the player taking the corner kick may prove
useful. They can cut out the risk of a quick short corner as well as interfering with the kick. He
may be able to block the kick by jumping or force the attacker to play the ball differently and thus
affect the quality and danger of the kick. If the attacker is going to play an out-swinging corner,
the defender should stand closer to the goal line. For an in-swinger, by standing a bit further away
from the goal line, he will have more chance of blocking the ball. This defender can also mark the
player taking the kick in case the ball is cleared but is then played back out to him. He can also
contribute if a counterattack is on.

Playing the Offside trap: If the ball is cleared or played out of the penalty area, teams may want to
move forward as quickly as possible to catch opponents offside. This requires good
communication and timing of movements between defenders.

Clearances: Defenders should aim to clear the ball as far, high and wide as possible to allow
themselves to regroup as well as clearing the danger. They must be able to use both feet and
their head.

Counterattacking: Opponents often push key defensive players up for corners. This can lead to
them being "exposed" to fast counterattacks, especially when the keeper having gained
possession, plays the ball out quickly and accurately to a team-mate.

The Goalkeeper: One cannot emphasise the the importance of the goalkeeper. The goalkeeper is
responsible for his goal area and must through good communication skills, give instructions to his
defence. Depending on the speed and flight path of the ball, he has to decide whether or not to
challenge for the ball. He must decide early, time his action and chose whether to catch or punch.
His initial position is extremely important. If he stands at the back post, he may not have time to
get across to an inswinging near post corner and vice versa, especially if there are players
blocking his path. Positioning himself in the middle of the goal with a half-open stance so he can
see both the kicker and what's happening in front of him is preferable.

So how can one coach and organise corner practice ? For example, a corner drill can firstly be
carried out without opposition. The individual positions and roles of the defenders must always be
clearly defined. The corner should be taken from both sides and the service can be varied (speed,
near post, far post, short, inswinging...). Only once the coach and players are satisfied with their
performance, can opposition players be introduced. Be careful to prevent players from getting
bored or cold.

The opposition should include 7-9 players who are given the freedom to move into any position.
Start off by serving from one side only and vary the service as much as possible. Once satisfied,
the coach can change the side from which the corner is taken. Around 10 corner kicks taken from
each side is usually provides a good session. Try zone and man-to man marking and a mixture of
the two.

There are several important points at all levels of the kick that the coach must observe and
analyse:

Positions: Analyse the positions of the goalkeeper, near/far post players and those covering the
penalty spot area. Do they keep to their designated positions ?

Marking: Analyse the marking capacity of each player. Is the marking tight or is the player often
caught ball-watching ?

Technique: Analyse the technique of all the players to clear the ball and how quickly they move
out once it has been cleared.

Mental: Evaluate the capacity of the players to adapt to different types of serve, especially the
short corner. Are they determined in challenging for the ball and is the communication good,
Affiliated to the M.F.A. and F.A.I.
FLUID INTAKE

INTRODUCTION

The human body contains about 70% water. A reduction in body water will cause a reduced
efficiency in cellular function. Soccer players have been shown to lose 1-5% of body weight
through sweating (up to 4.5 kg in hot humid conditions) which results in impaired performance.
Controlled studies show that a reduction of one percent in body weight can result in a ten percent
reduction in work capacity (although individuals do show differences in body mass loss as some
may have a better thermoregulatory capacity).

Furthermore, evidence shows that body mass loss will also cause mental functions to deteriorate
perhaps resulting in players making mistakes. It is therefore important that any sweat loss is
adequately and promptly replaced through fluid intake, whether this be through water or sports
drinks. Figure 1 gives a general idea of how increased body water loss reduces performance
capacity.
Dehydration will have a more immediate effect when playing or training in hot humid
environments. Fluid replacement is extremely important to ensure players do not become
dehydrated and to prevent any risk of heat injury. Weighing players before and after performance
may be useful to evaluate weight loss. Thirst is never an adequate indicator of the physiological
state of dehydration. Players should always be encouraged to drink more than their thirst
indicates. Thus, correct fluid intake practice is extremely important.

Water has been shown not only to be useful in preventing dehydration. A scientific study
demonstrated that it can actually help improve sprinting capacity in the second half of matches
when compared to players who did not drink any water. Water is extremely useful in preventing
dehydration, especially in hot conditions and is an excellent replacement fluid (In hot conditions,
it is more important to rehydrate the player than to provide additional energy). For every 1 kg
decrease in body weight - replace with 1 litre of fluid. A player's urine should be a diluted, pale
colour. If it looks deep yellow, he should drink more. However, the consensus view is that a sports
drink which contains an energy source in the form of carbohydrates along with electrolytes is
more effective in maintaining performance.

Drinking carbohydrate solutions and commercial sports drinks have been shown to aid
rehydration and improve playing performance. Carbohydrate (CHO) ingestion may improve
performance by slowing the onset of fatigue through the sparing of muscle glycogen utilisation by
increasing blood glucose levels (the primary aim), promoting muscle glycogen resynthesis and
increasing post-match recovery. This is especially useful if extra-time occurs and when regular
matches limit the time available for fully restoring glycogen stores (can be up to to 20 hours). For
example, players who consumed CHO solution before a match and at half-time covered greater
distances in the second half than those who did not.

The ideal sports drink should have 5 major qualities:

1 - Tastes good
2 - Rapidly absorbed
3 - Causes no stomach discomfort
4 - Helps maintain body fluid volume (prevents or reduces dehydration)
5 - Has the potential to enhance exercise performance (delays fatigue).

When consuming CHO drinks, many factors need to be taken into account: type and
concentration of CHO of used, when to drink and the weather conditions. Fluid absorption is
influenced by the the quantity, temperature and sugar content of the fluid. For example, warmer
drinks are absorbed slower than colder drinks but the latter may cause stomach discomfort.
Gastric emptying is maximised when the amount of fluid in the stomach is high. The
concentration of sugar is however, the most important constituent. The greater the concentration,
the slower the rate it can be emptied from the stomach. However, so-called sugar polymers (e.g.
maltodextrin) seem to be absorbed faster at a similar concentration compared to normal sugars.

So how much CHO needs to be ingested ? Scientific studies have shown that to restore and
maintain blood glucose levels in late exercise to delay fatigue by around 45 minutes, 60 grams of
CHO per hour are needed. To consume 60g/h of CHO, it is possible in several ways:
300ml of a 20% solution - too concentrated and reduces fluid uptake
600 ml of a 10% solution - ok in normal conditions but may not be enough fluid for a hot day
1200ml of a 5% solution - OK in normal conditions
2400 ml of a 2% solution - too large volume to consume in 1 hour

It seems that by drinking relatively large volumes of 5-15% CHO solutions, then the athletes can
obtain both their CHO and fluid needs. Evidence shows that players who drank 500ml of a 7%
glucose solution 15 mins before a game and at half-time had significantly less glycogen depletion.
This might lead one to think that increasing the concentration would be better but as mentioned
earlier emptying from the stomach will be slower. It is important to define these different
concentrations:

Hypotonic Drinks: Are weaker concentrations of sugar and electrolytes (sodium and potassium)
per 100mls than the body's own fluids. May be absorbed faster than plain water and are useful in
hot conditions.

Isotonic Drinks: same concentration of sugar and electrolytes as the body's fluids per 100mls.
May be absorbed as fast or faster than plain water. These drinks provide the ideal compromise
between rehydration and refuelling and are useful most of the time.

Hypertonic Drinks: contain higher concentrations of sugar and electrolytes per 100mls than the
body's own fluids. Are absorbed more slowly than plain water. They are useful during ultra-
endurance events and are generally not needed for soccer.

Players regularly lose 2.5 litres of body fluid and can use between 21-90% of their muscle
glycogen during a match and should therefore consume CHO drinks but at what intervals ? Firstly,
on a hot day, the fluid CHO concentration should not be more than 5% and a larger amount of
fluid is best consumed whereas on a cold wet day, one can increase the CHO concentration to
around 10% but reduce the volume of fluid ingested. Alcohol and caffeine drinks (coffee and tea)
should be avoided around competition.

Pre-match: Firstly, it is important that players are well hydrated before a match and they may
begin the process of toping up with fluid the day before. For example, an extra litre of fruit juice
may be drunk the evening before. On match day, players should have plenty to drink and be
encouraged to drink even when they are not thirsty. Ideally, a player should drink around 250-
500mls of fluid 2 hours before kick-off (such a practice should optimise hydration while allowing
enough time for any excess fluid to be excreted as urine before the game starts), and 200 ml of a
3-10% concentrated solution immediately before the match.

However, it is advisable that a player should not drink a concentrated sugar solution 1 hour
before training or competition as this will stimulate insulin leading to a reduction in blood sugar
and may lead to hypoglycaemia. It can also decrease the availability of body fat causing the
player to rely on muscle glycogen and lead to a more rapid onset of fatigue due to an earlier loss
of this latter energy source.

During a match: Try to drink small amounts of fluid at regular intervals, say every 15 minutes
(although this is not always possible) and always at half-time. Try 200 - 300 ml of a 3-10 % sugar
concentration. This will replenish a significant amount of lost water and help satisfy the body's
demand for sugar.

Post-match: After exercise, the major considerations are to replenish CHO and fluid losses. The
athlete should immediately drink adequate fluids to replace sweat losses during exercise. Avoid
alcohol and caffeine as this may prevent rehydration. Drink at least 500mls of water or a can of
an isotonic sports drink (helps refuelling and rehydration) immediately after the match and
continue drinking at regular intervals, until you have matched your body weight losses through
sweat.

A player may want to try to make their own drinks as commercial products may be too expensive
or not contain the right proportions of CHO. For example, a player who would like a 5% CHO
concentration can add 50 grams of sugar to a litre of water along with flavouring such as lemon
juice. Fizzy soda drinks are not recommended due to their high sugar content and the possibility
of causing stomach discomfort.

Never try new drinking strategies out on the day of a match. There are large inter individual
difference sin the ability to tolerate drinks. Some players may not be able to benefit from drinking
large amounts of fluids and will suffer from stomach discomfort. Only try out different drinking
habits during training.

There appears to be little physiologic need to replace electrolytes during a single exercise session
of moderate duration (e.g., less than three to four hours), particularly if sodium was present in the
previous meal. The need for supplementary electrolytes such as sodium/potassium or magnesium
during match play is also debatable; after matches, a couple of well balanced meals will restore
the post match levels. A commercial sports drink may also supply the required electrolytes.

CONCLUSION

1 - Drink plenty or increased amounts of fluid the day before and on match day.
2 - Do not consume a CHO drink 1 hour before the game. Prefer 2 hours before as well as
immediately before kick-off. Consume small quantities of fluid at regular intervals during the
match. Solutions of 3 - 10 % CHO are generally advised.
3 - Drink a lot straight after the game and even for a few hours afterwards. Avoid alcohol and
caffeine intake (the same goes for before the match).
4 - Both water and CHO sports drinks are useful in preventing rehydration and the latter will also
help in preventing the onset of fatigue.
5 - Always experiment with drinking habits in training, never on match day.
6 - Always drink more than thirst indicates and pay particular attention to fluid replacement in hot
humid conditions.

Back to Training Home Page

[email protected]

Copyright © 2002 All rights reserved

particularly the instructions from the keeper ?

One final point which may prove useful is the observation of opposition attacking tactics,
especially at top level play. Many teams use different signals to carry out various tactical ploys -
for example, a hand signal. A coach can through careful video and match analysis, study player
behaviour to discover these signals and their signification and put into practice different defensive
strategies to counter these plays.

Affiliated to the M.F.A. and F.A.I.

FLUID INTAKE

INTRODUCTION

The human body contains about 70% water. A reduction in body water will cause a reduced
efficiency in cellular function. Soccer players have been shown to lose 1-5% of body weight
through sweating (up to 4.5 kg in hot humid conditions) which results in impaired performance.
Controlled studies show that a reduction of one percent in body weight can result in a ten percent
reduction in work capacity (although individuals do show differences in body mass loss as some
may have a better thermoregulatory capacity).

Furthermore, evidence shows that body mass loss will also cause mental functions to deteriorate
perhaps resulting in players making mistakes. It is therefore important that any sweat loss is
adequately and promptly replaced through fluid intake, whether this be through water or sports
drinks. Figure 1 gives a general idea of how increased body water loss reduces performance
capacity.

Dehydration will have a more immediate effect when playing or training in hot humid
environments. Fluid replacement is extremely important to ensure players do not become
dehydrated and to prevent any risk of heat injury. Weighing players before and after performance
may be useful to evaluate weight loss. Thirst is never an adequate indicator of the physiological
state of dehydration. Players should always be encouraged to drink more than their thirst
indicates. Thus, correct fluid intake practice is extremely important.

Water has been shown not only to be useful in preventing dehydration. A scientific study
demonstrated that it can actually help improve sprinting capacity in the second half of matches
when compared to players who did not drink any water. Water is extremely useful in preventing
dehydration, especially in hot conditions and is an excellent replacement fluid (In hot conditions, it
is more important to rehydrate the player than to provide additional energy). For every 1 kg
decrease in body weight - replace with 1 litre of fluid. A player's urine should be a diluted, pale
colour. If it looks deep yellow, he should drink more. However, the consensus view is that a sports
drink which contains an energy source in the form of carbohydrates along with electrolytes is
more effective in maintaining performance.

Drinking carbohydrate solutions and commercial sports drinks have been shown to aid rehydration
and improve playing performance. Carbohydrate (CHO) ingestion may improve performance by
slowing the onset of fatigue through the sparing of muscle glycogen utilisation by increasing blood
glucose levels (the primary aim), promoting muscle glycogen resynthesis and increasing post-
match recovery. This is especially useful if extra-time occurs and when regular matches limit the
time available for fully restoring glycogen stores (can be up to to 20 hours). For example, players
who consumed CHO solution before a match and at half-time covered greater distances in the
second half than those who did not.

The ideal sports drink should have 5 major qualities:

1 - Tastes good
2 - Rapidly absorbed
3 - Causes no stomach discomfort
4 - Helps maintain body fluid volume (prevents or reduces dehydration)
5 - Has the potential to enhance exercise performance (delays fatigue).

When consuming CHO drinks, many factors need to be taken into account: type and concentration
of CHO of used, when to drink and the weather conditions. Fluid absorption is influenced by the
the quantity, temperature and sugar content of the fluid. For example, warmer drinks are
absorbed slower than colder drinks but the latter may cause stomach discomfort. Gastric
emptying is maximised when the amount of fluid in the stomach is high. The concentration of
sugar is however, the most important constituent. The greater the concentration, the slower the
rate it can be emptied from the stomach. However, so-called sugar polymers (e.g. maltodextrin)
seem to be absorbed faster at a similar concentration compared to normal sugars.

So how much CHO needs to be ingested ? Scientific studies have shown that to restore and
maintain blood glucose levels in late exercise to delay fatigue by around 45 minutes, 60 grams of
CHO per hour are needed. To consume 60g/h of CHO, it is possible in several ways:

300ml of a 20% solution - too concentrated and reduces fluid uptake

600 ml of a 10% solution - ok in normal conditions but may not be enough fluid for a hot day
1200ml of a 5% solution - OK in normal conditions
2400 ml of a 2% solution - too large volume to consume in 1 hour

It seems that by drinking relatively large volumes of 5-15% CHO solutions, then the athletes can
obtain both their CHO and fluid needs. Evidence shows that players who drank 500ml of a 7%
glucose solution 15 mins before a game and at half-time had significantly less glycogen depletion.
This might lead one to think that increasing the concentration would be better but as mentioned
earlier emptying from the stomach will be slower. It is important to define these different
concentrations:

Hypotonic Drinks: Are weaker concentrations of sugar and electrolytes (sodium and potassium)
per 100mls than the body's own fluids. May be absorbed faster than plain water and are useful in
hot conditions.

Isotonic Drinks: same concentration of sugar and electrolytes as the body's fluids per 100mls. May
be absorbed as fast or faster than plain water. These drinks provide the ideal compromise
between rehydration and refuelling and are useful most of the time.

Hypertonic Drinks: contain higher concentrations of sugar and electrolytes per 100mls than the
body's own fluids. Are absorbed more slowly than plain water. They are useful during ultra-
endurance events and are generally not needed for soccer.

Players regularly lose 2.5 litres of body fluid and can use between 21-90% of their muscle
glycogen during a match and should therefore consume CHO drinks but at what intervals ? Firstly,
on a hot day, the fluid CHO concentration should not be more than 5% and a larger amount of
fluid is best consumed whereas on a cold wet day, one can increase the CHO concentration to
around 10% but reduce the volume of fluid ingested. Alcohol and caffeine drinks (coffee and tea)
should be avoided around competition.

Pre-match: Firstly, it is important that players are well hydrated before a match and they may
begin the process of toping up with fluid the day before. For example, an extra litre of fruit juice
may be drunk the evening before. On match day, players should have plenty to drink and be
encouraged to drink even when they are not thirsty. Ideally, a player should drink around 250-
500mls of fluid 2 hours before kick-off (such a practice should optimise hydration while allowing
enough time for any excess fluid to be excreted as urine before the game starts), and 200 ml of a
3-10% concentrated solution immediately before the match.

However, it is advisable that a player should not drink a concentrated sugar solution 1 hour before
training or competition as this will stimulate insulin leading to a reduction in blood sugar and may
lead to hypoglycaemia. It can also decrease the availability of body fat causing the player to rely
on muscle glycogen and lead to a more rapid onset of fatigue due to an earlier loss of this latter
energy source.

During a match: Try to drink small amounts of fluid at regular intervals, say every 15 minutes
(although this is not always possible) and always at half-time. Try 200 - 300 ml of a 3-10 % sugar
concentration. This will replenish a significant amount of lost water and help satisfy the body's
demand for sugar.

Post-match: After exercise, the major considerations are to replenish CHO and fluid losses. The
athlete should immediately drink adequate fluids to replace sweat losses during exercise. Avoid
alcohol and caffeine as this may prevent rehydration. Drink at least 500mls of water or a can of an
isotonic sports drink (helps refuelling and rehydration) immediately after the match and continue
drinking at regular intervals, until you have matched your body weight losses through sweat.

A player may want to try to make their own drinks as commercial products may be too expensive
or not contain the right proportions of CHO. For example, a player who would like a 5% CHO
concentration can add 50 grams of sugar to a litre of water along with flavouring such as lemon
juice. Fizzy soda drinks are not recommended due to their high sugar content and the possibility
of causing stomach discomfort.

Never try new drinking strategies out on the day of a match. There are large inter individual
difference sin the ability to tolerate drinks. Some players may not be able to benefit from drinking
large amounts of fluids and will suffer from stomach discomfort. Only try out different drinking
habits during training.

There appears to be little physiologic need to replace electrolytes during a single exercise session
of moderate duration (e.g., less than three to four hours), particularly if sodium was present in the
previous meal. The need for supplementary electrolytes such as sodium/potassium or magnesium
during match play is also debatable; after matches, a couple of well balanced meals will restore
the post match levels. A commercial sports drink may also supply the required electrolytes.

CONCLUSION

1 - Drink plenty or increased amounts of fluid the day before and on match day.
2 - Do not consume a CHO drink 1 hour before the game. Prefer 2 hours before as well as
immediately before kick-off. Consume small quantities of fluid at regular intervals during the
match. Solutions of 3 - 10 % CHO are generally advised.
3 - Drink a lot straight after the game and even for a few hours afterwards. Avoid alcohol and
caffeine intake (the same goes for before the match).
4 - Both water and CHO sports drinks are useful in preventing rehydration and the latter will also
help in preventing the onset of fatigue.
5 - Always experiment with drinking habits in training, never on match day.
6 - Always drink more than thirst indicates and pay particular attention to fluid replacement in hot
humid conditions.
 Cohesion
by Karlene Sugarman, M.A.

There are many group dynamics that take place within a sporting team. One of
the most important is cohesion. One is always hearing about how important it
is for a team to "gel" or "bond" or "have good chemistry." Cohesive teams can
achieve dramatic and awesome things. The way players interact has a
tremendous impact on the way a team performs. As Hall (1960) put it, "The
fittest to survive and succeed are those able to find their strength in
cooperation, able to build teams based upon mutual helpfulness, and
responsibility for one’s fellow teammates." (p. 202)

The more cohesive a team is, the more it encourages peak performance in its
members. If cohesion is lacking it can often prevent the team from reaching its’
potential. Shouldn’t teams spend time and energy developing a cohesive
environment? I think the problem is that many teams aren’t sure what cohesion
is and how to go about developing and maintaining a cohesive environment. To
often the unspoken attitude is, "If it happens, that’s great, but if not, well, we
don’t have a close group this year and there’s not much that can be done."
In the past, the concept of cohesion has been defined in many ways. In the
sporting world, one definition is most widely used and accepted, and it is the
one we will use. Cohesion is the total field of forces which act on members to
remain in a particular group (Festinger, Schacter, & Back, 1950). People will
usually refer to their team as cohesive if the members get along, are loyal and
are united in the pursuit of its goals.

Merely being together at workouts and games doesn’t necessarily guarantee a

team will be cohesive and successful, it simply means that they are occupying
the same space at the same time. A cohesive team can be distinguished from a
noncohesive team by many characteristics. A cohesive team has well-defined
roles and group norms, common goals, a positive team identity, a good
working relationship, shared responsibility, respect, positive energy, trust, a
willingness to cooperate, unity, good communication, pride in membership,
and synergy. Another indicator of the amount of cohesiveness in a team is the
frequency of statements of we and our, in contrast to statements of I, me and
mine. The we is just as important as the me. Developing cohesion is something
that takes time and effort, but it is well worth the investment.

To establish cohesion, everyone needs to be on the same page when it comes to

team goals. If everyone is striving towards the same thing this will help
cohesion develop. Productivity must be established by setting challenging and
specific goals. Making sure the members know what the individual goals are,
for themselves and their teammates, is very important. If you know what your
teammates are striving for, many times you can aid them in their endeavor,
which will lead to a more cohesive relationship. There can be no hidden
agendas by any of the members, their goals must coincide with team goals.
What’s good for the team has to be good for the individual and visa versa.

Having periodic team meetings is a good way to check in to make sure

everything is going all right on the team. This provides an opportunity for the
team members to spend some time together off the field where life is not so
hectic. This way a coach can ask for input, and players can tell others what
they see happening, or what they see isn’t happening. There is no chaos and no
rushing; it is a meeting with the sole purpose of processing what is going on.

Direct assessment, as given by the players, is the most accurate way to

determine the amount of cohesiveness on a team. There is not substitute for the
player’s own perception of what is going on not only for him, but also for the
team that he is playing on. How a player views the interworkings on the team is
very valuable information when evaluating the level of team cohesion.

1. There should be mutual respect among members. You can’t have a

cohesive group on the field if you don’t respect your teammates. You
don’t have to necessarily love them off the field, but you better love
them on the field and respect them both on and off the field. You are all
fighting for a common goal and there is a special closeness that goes
along with this. The 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates demonstrated this with
their We are family attitude both on and off the field. A sort of "esprit
de corps" mentality. Also, when there is a strong level of respect it will
also reinforce the merit of a teammate’s feedback.
 2. There should be effective two-way communication that is clear and
direct. Good communication skills result in an increase in self-esteem,
respect, trust and decision making skills. Trust is an ongoing process; it
will be tested time and time again.
3. There also needs to be a feeling of importance among the team. You
should do your best to make each member feel like they are a part of
the team and contribute something important. The phrase treat others as
you would like to be treated applies here. Know the needs of your
teammates and how you can help make them feel like they are a viable
part of the team. "That’s what we call it, a big family, and everyone
realizes that and that’s why we’re so cohesive" (San Francisco 49ers
Vice President/ Director of the 49ers Foundation, Lisa DeBartolo).
4. Having continuity in practices, and in every part of the team, can
contribute to the cohesiveness of the group. Familiarity breeds not only
confidence but also a sense of comfort among the team. Also, by
placing team members in situations where interaction is necessary,
cohesion will increase.

We have taken a look at what cohesion is and how important it is to develop

and nurture it on a team any team. Only good things can come from bonding
with other members of your team good things for everyone, individually and
collectively, as stated by Long Beach City College Head Softball Coach Shellie
McCall, “Team cohesion is the glue that keeps a team focused and determined
to reach its goals.”

Conflict.. by Peter Grazier

Last August I taught a weekend course on team building to

about 25 people participating in A Systems Approach to
Quality Improvement at Madonna University in Detroit.
Sponsored by the Association for Quality and Participation
(513-381-1959), the six-month course leads to a certificate in
quality and attracts management personnel who want to
expand their knowledge of contemporary workplace concepts.

The Sunday morning agenda was open so that more time

could be spent on participant needs. On this Sunday, the primary topic the class
wanted to address was “conflict.” Although this topic is frequently brought up in
sessions, on this particular day it started me wondering why we seem to have so
much conflict in our workplaces and in our society, and why we have so much trouble
resolving it.

Conflict Defined
My dictionary defines conflict as “a struggle to resist or overcome; a contest of
opposing forces; strife; battle; a state or condition of opposition; antagonism; discord;
clash; collision.”
Conflict seems to be ever-present in our lives....on the battlefield, on the football field,
in the boardroom, or in the bathroom. The possibility of conflict looms anytime two or
more people convene.

In team building, you will hear people say that “conflict” is good for teams, and so they
encourage it. What I think they mean is that “disagreement” is good for teams. Conflict
has an emotional component that tends to be destructive, whereas, disagreement is a
non-emotional presentation of differing viewpoints.

Sources of Conflict
Conflict arises from a multitude of sources that reflect our differences: personality,
values, ideologies, religion, culture, race, and behavior. It also arises from simple
misunderstandings. As we have expanded collaborative concepts within our
workplaces, we have dramatically increased the number of human interactions where
one’s opinions can be heard.

New teams, for example, may find themselves in conflict as discussions lead them into
uncharted waters. One person may have worked along side another for years, yet
never “knew” them until they began unearthing deeply held beliefs. Reaching
consensus when such differences are present is frequently difficult,1 and conflict is
almost certain.

Resolving Conflict... The Current Model

I think the reason most people struggle with conflict resolution is that our past and
present models of resolution are rooted in battles. These battles result in “winners”
and “losers,” and our society seems to place a high value on winning. So we staunchly
defend our position, no matter how shaky.

I have talked frequently in these pages of an exercise I use when working with teams.
The exercise is simply a single paragraph story about five people. It is a straight-
forward story that one can read in one or two minutes.

I ask participants to rate the five people from best to worst based upon their
interpretation of the story. The results are astounding! In a room of twenty people, I
will get fifteen different interpretations of the story and its characters. When they begin
to discuss the story, they see other interpretations as plausible as their own, and the
light goes on that their view of this story and its characters is just one way of looking at
it. It becomes a powerful lesson in how our beliefs, having been shaped by our own
unique history, are simply one interpretation of reality.The participants also learn that
to resolve these differences, they must take the time to talk to each other and listen
carefully for other, equally valid points of view. The problem is that we were never
taught to do this, and so we go into our learned offensive and defensive behaviors to
defend our position. Conflict resolution under the “win-lose” model leaves most
people unfulfilled, particularly if the battle is a difficult one. Frequently, the emotional
component inflicts a wound that may never fully heal.

Conflict Resolution... A Different Approach

Recently, my friend Steven Piersanti of Berrett-Koehler Publishers in San Francisco
sent me a manuscript of a new book called Getting to Resolution: Turning Conflict
Into Collaboration. The book was written by Stewart Levine, a lawyer, consultant,
and mediator with an illustrious track record.

As I began to read the manuscript, what caught my attention quickly were his opening
words:

During my second year of law school I had my first “real”

lawyer’s job. I was an intern at a local legal services clinic. On
 my first day I was handed 25 cases “to work on.” This would be
my job for the semester. Three weeks later I asked the managing
attorney for more cases. When he asked about the 25 he had
given me, I told him that I had resolved them.

He was very surprised, and very curious. He asked how I had

done it. I told him that I had reviewed the files, spoken to the
clients, thought about a fair outcome and what needed to be
done, called the attorney or agency on the other side, and
reached a satisfactory resolution.

I knew nothing about being a lawyer. I had no inclination that the

cases were difficult, needed to take a long time, or had to be
handled in a particular way. With common sense and a
beginner’s mind, I found the solution that worked best for all
concerned. Simple? It was for me! I spent the next twelve years
becoming a “successful” lawyer, and becoming less effective at
resolving matters.

What a revelation! A law student whose ignorance of legal procedure led him to follow
his instincts and have the clients actually talk to each other. Instead of preparing a
game plan for battle, he simply approached each conflict as a disagreement looking
for a solution.

The Costs of Conflict

Mr. Levine says further that conflict resolution in this manner isn’t soft, but practical, in
that there are significant costs associated with how we currently resolve conflict. And
many times these costs far outweigh the conflict itself.

The costs he describes are:

1. Direct Cost
2. Productivity Cost
3. Continuity Cost
4. Emotional Cost

The direct costs are the fees of lawyers and other professionals. In
1994 alone, there were 18 million cases filed in US courts at a cost of
$300 billion.

Productivity cost is the value of lost time, the cost of what those
involved would otherwise be producing.

Continuity cost is the eventual end of relationships that would have

continued without the conflict.
 Emotional cost reflects the pain of focusing on, and being held
hostage by our emotions.

If you’ve ever been in a conflict, you can probably relate to one or more of the above
consequences.

Conflict Resolution... A New Paradigm

Drawing on his extensive experience, Mr. Levine shares a model for conflict resolution
very different than the current one. The seven steps of his resolution model are shown
below:

Real Conflict Resolution

1. Develop an Attitude of Resolution

The above process will not work unless we first hold certain values
that make up an attitude of resolution. Mr. Levine discusses values
such as believing in abundance, being creative, becoming vulnerable,
and relying on feelings and intuition.

In reality, this may not be easy because it requires us to step back

and think about how we feel about conflict. These are beliefs that took
a long time to develop and are deeply embedded.

2. Tell Your Story

Telling your story is listening to all stories, including yours. It is about
understanding and being understood. Looking for “the truth” in their
story is not as important as honoring their authenticity, and
understanding “their truth.”

3. Listen for a Preliminary Vision of Resolution

Listening for a preliminary vision of resolution is thinking about a
resolution that honors all concerns in the situation. It is about shifting
from the desire to win, and get your way, to a vision that everyone can
buy into.

4. Get Current and Complete

Getting current and complete is saying what usually goes unsaid. It
demands saying difficult, sometimes gut-wrenching things, thereby
escaping from the emotional prisons that keep us locked in the past.

5. See a Vision for the Future: Agreement in Principle

Seeing a vision for the future means reaching a general
understanding of the resolution— a foundation of a new agreement. It
requires letting go of the desire for what you know will not work and
focuses on what will.

6. Craft the New Agreement: Make the Vision a Reality

Crafting the new agreement adds the specifics. The key point is to
have a map or formula for the dialogue that will maximize the potential
for everyone to obtain their desired results.

7. Resolution: When Your Agreement Becomes

Reality
Resolution is moving back into action. With a new agreement, and a
quiet, clear mind about the past, you can freely move forward. You will
be empowered by the process.
Because we, as humans, are all different in how we perceive the world, conflicts will,
at some level, always be part of life. How those conflicts are resolved, however, is a
choice. We can enter into battles, defending our position, pushing our “truth,” and,
when all else fails, hire our gladiators to battle for us. In the end, the costs may take
their toll on us.

Or we can approach conflict as a problem looking for a solution. We can take an

approach much different than the culturally accepted one, with results that leave us
intact.

WHAT MAKES A TEAM A CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM ?

Those of you who have previously read my words will know that the role of
the coach, in the proverbial twenty-five words or less, is to make the team
greater than the sum of its parts. Indeed, four players, banding together to
achieve a level of accomplishment must do exactly the same thing. It's not just
a case of making eight shots per end for 8 or 10 ends. We have all seen "four
skips" crash and burn. In fact, four skips forming a team is like four generals
trying to lead the same army. It takes troops in the trenches and highly
specialized personnel to get the job done. So it is true with a championship
team. I am going to turn to the observations of one Lindsay Sparkes*, who
through her distinguished career in the game might have been the first to
actually document what, in her opinion, are the characteristics of championship
teams. To hear Lindsay say it, no team has ever won a major championship
without them.

As those of you who know me well will attest, I like to make the printed word
as interactive as possible so before reading on, try to list what you feel are the
characteristics of championship teams.
Championship teams all ..

• have a steadfast belief in each other

• promote honest communication

• have a satisfaction with the position on the team

• have an openness toward coaching input

• establish clear goals

• adhere to established routines

• adopt the attitude that the team comes first

• show unity and fearlessness

• pay attention to detail

Let's deal with these one at a time. Believing in each other is what really makes
a team greater than the sum of its parts. One of the teachers in my school has
the saying in his classroom that the hardest thing about reaching your goal is
to start! It's believing that you can that makes it possible and in team sports,
each player must have that belief not only in him/herself, but in his/her
teammates as well.

So often in curling, the word communication surfaces as either the cornerstone

of a team's success or its Achilles heel. Notice that according to Lindsay's
observations, the adjective honest describes the quality of the communication.
Heh, if you mess up, admit it! Trying to cover your sins by blaming them on
bad brush placement or a fall in the ice that you know is not there only hurts
the team! It's only when the communication is based upon what everyone feels
is the truth can the communication become that cornerstone of your success!

Successful teams exhibit daily the treatise that the team can have only one skip
and must have a third (mate for my many friends in Atlantic Canada), second
and lead who know how to play the position, understand its significance, want
to be the best there ever was at that position and believe that each of their
teammates feels the same way. I believe the best example of this to be Neil
Harrison, career lead for the Wrench. Is there a more dedicated lead, or one
who understands the position and its significance. I don't feel that there would
be too much of an argument that Neil has the fire to be the best lead in any
competition in which he plays. I believe the same is true for Marcia Gudereit,
lead for Team Schmirler or Christine Jurgenson, lead for Team Law.

Being open to coaching input is a quality that is near and dear to my heart.
Ladies, take a bow here! You are light years ahead of the guys in this respect!
Enough said. (That'll get e-mail.)
Goals are what so may teams DON'T have. Some of you (again from a
previous publication) may recall the SAMM acronym for goal setting. Goals
must be specific, achievable, measurable and mutual. A team must have long
and short term goals as well. These goals must be recorded and revisited
frequently and in the case of the truly committed team, verified with a
signature by each team player.

Routines, established for team effectiveness are the pathways to success. I had
the pleasure of coaching the Patti Lank team at the U.S. Olympic Trials. On
their own, with very little urging from me, the routine established, beginning
one hour before game time was choreographed to the second. In another article
I will detail it for you, but suffice to say that the mental toughness and role
definition it established was clearly evident to anyone who observed the team
in its pre-game preparation. In the on-ice pre-game warm-up, I was told
precisely what my role was and what I was expected to do! That's the attitude!

And now for the spot where the rubber meets the road! Team comes first!
We're talking commitment here guys! This is where the five of you (don't
forget that coach) sit across a table, look one another in the eye, and state your
case. Remember those goals that Lindsay referred to earlier. Now is the time to
test the mutual part! Not only that, it's time to state the degree of commitment.
I believe I hear the word sacrifice in the background. Notice how closely team
first is allied with the initial characteristic, a belief in each other.

Have you ever played an elite team? Did you notice how confident they are?
They're not, cocky or arrogant, but confident! This confidence is especially
displayed in time of crisis in a game or competition or when something adverse
happens as when a crucial shot picks. There's no gnashing of teeth or flailing of
brushes or cursing, not among the truly championship teams, just the also-rans!
Champions have an inner conceit. They truly believe they can win every game.
The secret is the word inner. The conceit stays there while the confident
presence shows!

Lastly, Lindsay has noticed that every championship team pays attention to
detail. This is my column so I get to say this, "They leave no stone unturned"!
We say to teams who attend C.C.A. high performance camps, but it applies to
all teams, "If you want something you've never had before, you had better be
prepared to so some things you've never done before" (words this author first
heard uttered by Pat "B" Reid
Self Confidence

Why is Self-Confidence Important?

Self-confidence is arguably one of the most important things you can

have. Self-confidence reflects your assessment of your own self-worth.
It will play a large part in determining your happiness through life.

Sport can be both enormously effective in improving self-worth, and

highly destructive in damaging it. Where sport is used creatively, with
emphasis on enjoyment, effective goal setting and monitoring of
achievement of goals, it can build self-confidence as targets are
reached and improvement in performance is noted.

Where children are compelled to participate in a sport for which they

have no aptitude, this can be immensely destructive to self-confidence
as failure and lack of self-worth are consistently reinforced. Coaches
should ask themselves whether they are prepared to take moral
responsibility for inflicting this damage, even if numbers are needed to
make up a team.

Self-confidence allows you to take risks, as you have enough

confidence in your own abilities to be sure that if things do go wrong,
you can put things right.

Levels of Confidence

The way in which you are self-confident is important: if you are

underconfident, then you will not take risks that need to be taken. If you
are over-confident, then you can end up not trying hard enough and
losing.

Confidence should be based on observed reality. It should be based on

the achievement of performance goals: you should be confident that
you will perform up to your current abilities. Good self-confidence
comes from a realistic expectation of success based on well practised
physical skills, a good knowledge of the sport, respect for your own
competence, adequate preparation, and good physical condition. The
success attained should be measured in terms of achievement of
personal performance goals, not achievement goals such as winning.

Where you are underconfident, you will commonly suffer from fear of
failure (which will prevent you from taking risks effectively), self-doubt,
lack of concentration, and negative thinking. Often you may find
yourself blaming yourself for faults that lie elsewhere.These will damage
your flow and disrupt your enjoyment of sport. Here you should use
suggestion, visualisation, and effective goal-setting to improve your self-
confidence and self-image.

Overconfidence is dangerous - it can lead you into situations which you

do not have the ability to get out of. It can set you up for serious failure
that can devastate the self-confidence you should have.
Overconfidence is confidence that is not based on ability: it may be a
result of misleading or pushy parents or coaches trying to help you
without understanding your abilities, may be caused by vanity or ego, or
may be caused by positive thinking or imagery which is not backed up
by ability.

How Goal Setting Helps Self-Confidence

Goal setting is probably the most effective way of building self-

confidence. By setting measurable goals, achieving them, setting new
goals, achieving them, and so on you prove your ability to yourself. You
are able to prove to yourself that you are able to perform and achieve
effectively. You can see and recognise and enjoy your achievement,
and feel real self-worth in that achievement.
Importantly, by knowing what you are able to achieve, you are not
setting yourself up for surprise failure - you almost always have a
reasonably accurate assessment of what your abilities really are, which
is unclouded by ego or vanity.

For more information on goal setting, click here.

How Imagery, Positive Thinking, and Suggestion Help Self-

Confidence

Imagery is useful in building self-confidence, but only if properly applied.

Imagery should be used to imagine achievement of a goal that is being

worked towards in order to help you to believe that that goal is
attainable.

It should only be used, however, where you are rationally aware that
you have the raw ability to achieve a goal if you stretch yourself, but if
psychological factors such as lack of emotional self-confidence are
interfering with your ability to achieve. For many years psychologists
have advocated use of imagery, positive thinking, and suggestion
without stressing that it should be based on a rational assessment of
abilities. This can easily lead to over-confidence and serious failure.

For further information on these, click one of the following:

 Information on Imagery
 Information on Positive Thinking
 Information on Suggestion and Hypnosis

Sporting Excellence

The following pointers should lead you to maximise your sporting

abilities:

 Training Excellence
o Set specific achievement goals before each training
session
o Prepare your mind before training to get the most out of
each period
o In training practice your skills with the maximum attention
and effort
o Use imagery and simulation to mimic actual performance
as far as possible
o Practice distraction, mood and stress control so that they
can be applied effectively in competition
 Performance Excellence
 o Rest effectively before a performance: over-training
exhausts your body and tires your mind when you need
your maximum mental resources
o Use pre-performance ritualsand on-site psych plans so
that you start competing in the best frame of mind
o Keep focus. If you lose focus, apply a refocusing plan to
regain concentration
o Learn as much as possible out of your performance, but
only analyse after your performance is complete
 Keep a training/performance diary to set goals and record
performance and mental results

Distraction Management

Distraction is damaging to your performance because it interferes with

your ability to focus and disrupts flow. It interferes with the attention that
you need to apply to maintain good technique. This causes stress and
consumes mental energy that is better applied elsewhere.

This section will teach you skills for overcoming distraction

Sources of Distraction

Distraction can come from a number of sources, both internal and

external, such as:
 the presence of loved ones you want to impress
 family or relationship problems
 media - photographers, interviewers, cameras, heat form lights,
etc.
 teammates and other competitors
 coaches who do not know when to keep quiet
 underperformance or unexpected high performance
 frustration at mistakes
 unjust criticism
 poor refereeing decisions
 changes in familiar patterns
 etc.

You can prepare for and deal with all of these sources of distraction.

Coping with distraction

Coping with distractions and minor irritations is mainly a matter of

attitude - you can either dwell on them and blow them up out of all
proportion to their significance, or you can accept them and bypass
them. If you waste mental energy fretting over a trivial problem, then
this is energy that cannot be spent maintaining good technique (hence
preserving physical energy). Over long events or competitions, this
wastage of mental energy can seriously damage your performance.
What is worth remembering is that when you are distracted, lose
concentration and make a mistake, you have not lost your skills. All you
have lost is your focus.

The following points may help you to deal with distractions:

 Remember that although events may be beyond your control,

your reactions to events are entirely controlled by you.
 Think positively - recognise petty irritations as such, and let them
go
 Know you can perform well despite distraction
 Prepare for and expect more distraction at bigger events
 Expect other competitors to be more nervous at big events - use
your ability to resist stress and distraction as a competitive
advantage
 Develop a refocussing plan and practice using it when you are
distracted
 Learn how to change bad moods to good moods
 Sleep and rest more before big events so that you have more
mental energy to devote to distraction, mood and stress control.

Mood Control

Bad moods damage your motivation to succeed in training or

competition. They make you more prone to negative thinking, and
cause distraction, often as you trigger bad moods in other people. Bad
moods emerge as bad temper, unhappiness, lethargy and
sluggishness.

If you are in a good mood, then even dull training can be enjoyable.

Your mood is completely under your control - bad moods are an

indulgence you cannot afford. You can improve your mood in the
following ways:

 Through positive thinking and suggestion - say to yourself 'I feel

good' or 'I am going to move faster' or 'I can feel energy pouring
into my limbs'. This really does help.
  By treating each element of a performance individually - when
you make a mistake, refocus and concentrate on the next
separate element of the performance. Treating a performance in
this way ensures that a bad move or a missed shot does not
effect following moves or shots.
 By using imagery - imagine a beautiful scene or a time when you
were performing very well and feeling good. Alternatively,
imagine feeling good directly.
 By reviewing your goals to remotivate yourself.
 By smiling! - Forcing a smile onto your face for more than just a
few seconds always seems to lift a bad mood. Try it - it really
does work!

Links

Stress, Anxiety and Energy

Too much stress and anxiety can seriously affect your ability to focus on
your skills and flow in a performance. This section examines the causes
of excess stress and anxiety, explains their symptoms and then
explains techniques that you can use to manage them.

It is important that you recognise that you are responsible for your own
stress levels. Very often they are a product of the way that you think.
Learn to monitor your stress levels, and adjust them up if you need
more arousal, or down if you are feeling too stressed. Also learn that
other people may seek to manipulate your stress levels: if you are
feeling stressed and uptight, the last thing you may need is a
motivational talk from a coach or manager who may not be able to see
your stress.

A certain level of stress is needed for optimum performance. If you are

under too little stress, then you will find it difficult to motivate yourself to
give a good performance. Too little stress expresses itself in feelings of
boredom and not being stretched.

At an optimum level of stress you will get the benefits of alertness and
activation that a good level of stress brings.

Excessive levels of stress damage performance and damage your

enjoyment of your sport. These excessive levels occur in the following
circumstances:

 When you think that what is being asked of you is beyond your
perceived abilities
 When too much is asked of you in too short a space of time
 When unnecessary obstacles are put in the way of achieving
goals
The negative effects of stress are:

 That it gets in the way of judgement and fine motor control

 It causes competition to be seen as a threat, not a challenge
 It damages the positive frame of mind you need for high quality
competition by:
o promoting negative thinking
o damaging self-confidence
o narrowing attention
o and disrupting flow
 It consumes mental energy in, for example, worry. This is energy
that you could devote to keeping technique good.

Very often stress can be caused by negative thinking as well as being a

result of negative thinking: If you interpret a situation saying 'I'm in
trouble', then you are much less likely to do well than if you think
positively, seeing a new situation as an opportunity to exhibit your skills
at a higher level.

Stress and Adrenaline

When you are in a competitive environment or are in an environment in

which you are being evaluated, adrenaline may enter your bloodstream.

This has the following positive and negative effects on your body:

 Positive Effects:
o Adrenaline causes physiological arousal
o It causes alertness
o It prepares the body for explosive activity
 Negative Effects:
o It inhibits judgement
o It interferes with fine motor control, and makes executing
complex skills difficult.

You will experience the preparatory flow of adrenaline into your body
typically as 'Butterflies in your stomach'.

In sports such as shooting where fine motor control is important,

adrenaline may be a negative factor. However in sports like sprinting or
power lifting, where explosive activity is required, adrenaline may be
useful in generating optimum performance.

You may currently view high levels of adrenaline in your body

negatively as stress. You may need to review this, perhaps welcoming
adrenaline as an aid to your performance. Similarly you might like to
consider using 'Psych Up' routines to raise your adrenaline levels if you
are not sufficiently aroused.

Anxiety
Anxiety is different from stress. Anxiety comes from a concern over lack
of control over circumstances. In some cases being anxious and
worrying over a problem may generate a solution. Normally, however, it
will just result in negative thinking.

Albert Ellis listed the five main unrealistic desires or beliefs that cause
anxiety:

 The desire always to have the love and admiration of all people
important to you. This is unrealistic because you have no control
over other peoples minds: people can have bad days, can see
things in odd ways, can make mistakes, or can be plain
disagreeable and awkward.
 The desire to always be thoroughly competent. This is unrealistic
because you only achieve competence at a new level by making
mistakes. Everybody has bad days and makes mistakes. One of
the benefits of training with better athletes is that you can see
them making mistakes and having bad days too.
 The belief that external factors cause all misfortune. Often
negative events can be caused by your own negative attitudes.
Similarly your own negative attitudes can cause you to view
neutral events negatively. Another athlete might find something
positive in something you view as a problem.
 The desire that events should always turn out the way that you
want them to and people should always do what you want. Other
people have their own agendas and do what they want to do.
 The belief that everything that has happened in the past will
inevitably condition and control what has happened in the future.
Very often things can be improved or changed if you try hard
enough, or look at things in a different way.

Mental Energy

You need mental energy to be able to concentrate your attention and

maintain good mental attitudes. If you are concentrating effectively then
you can conserve physical energy by maintaining good technique when
your muscles are tired, can maintain focus and good execution of skills,
and can push and drive your body through pain and fatigue barriers.

You can waste mental energy on worry, stress, fretting over

distractions, and negative thinking. Over a long competition these not
only damage enjoyment, but also drain energy so that performance
suffers.

It is therefore important to avoid these by good use of sports psychology, and

by resting effectively between events and by ensuring that you sleep properly.

NB: There is some debate relating to the interaction between

psychic energy (Kerr, 1985) and stress. This review takes the view
that distinguishing between stress and psychic energy is
unnecessary as it complicates the issue without yielding many
useful insights. We reserve the right to modify this position in
future uploads. The On-Site Psych Plan

The On-Site Psych Plan works in conjunction with pre-competition

routines to prepare fully for competition.

The idea of the On-Site Psych Plan is to prepare you for any
reasonable eventuality, so that you can deal with the inevitable
distractions that will occur as rapidly and effectively as possible. This
helps to ensure that you are in a positive and focused frame of mind for
the start of your event.

To prepare the plan, list all the physical and mental steps that occur
between arriving on site and the start of the performance. List every
distraction that might reasonably occur during this time. Next to the
listed items, list what to do if these occur or go wrong and why you will
do it. Next to that list what you will do if that goes wrong.

This will ensure that you have thought about and prepared for every
reasonable eventuality that might occur up to the start of the
performance. This will significantly reduce any anxiety you may feel, as
not only do you know how you will deal with any problems that come
along, you will know how to react if your first solutions do not work.

You can practise your on-site psych plan using imagery and simulation.

After using the plan in a competition, re-examine and refine it for the
next competition.

Your Refocussing Plan

A refocussing plan is very similar to an on-site psych plan, in that it aims

to prepare to return you to a state of focus and flow during a
performance where something goes wrong. This might be because you
are distracted, become stressed, make a mistake or suffer an unjust
refereeing decision.

Since you will need to apply the refocussing plan rapidly, it needs to be
short and simple.

An effective way of preparing the plan is to list what might go wrong

with the performance, and then write down how you will let go of the
distraction and refocus on your performance. This might be by rapid
application of a relaxation technique, by using a cue-word that has been
linked to a feeling of focus, or by effective use of imagery.
Practice applying the effective refocussing technique using imagery or
simulation. This will make it easier to use and apply the technique
during competition.

Links

Bringing it all together: The Training and Performance

Diary

You can help yourself to routinely apply sports psychology techniques

by getting into the habit of using a Training and Performance diary
before and after every training session and performance.

The Training and Performance diary is an extremely effective tool that

brings together and helps to apply almost everything that this Mind
Tools Sports Psychology section has covered.

Take a diary that has a full page for every day. Block each page into
sections for:

 Entries before the session:

o Goals - enter the main goals to be achieved in the training
session or performance here. Enter goals before the
session or performance. Base the setting of goals on
notes from previous pages of the diary.
 Entries after the session:
o Achievements - Write down the goals achieved here after
the session.
o Errors - note mistakes here, and suggestions for future
improvements or possible future goals
o Quality of Session - Write down your assessment of the
quality of the session. Include here any times or scores
you achieved.
o Mindset - make entries here recording your mood,
susceptibility to distraction, feeling of stress, and feeling of
focus/flow. Score these from 1(poor) to 10 (v. good). Note
why you think you felt the way you did.

Keeping this diary has the following advantages:

 It focuses your attention before a session on what you need to

achieve. This helps to ensure that training sessions and
performances are always useful for improvement of skills.
 It helps you to track the achievement of goals, and feed
information back into the setting of new goals. This helps to build
your confidence as you can see easily what you have achieved.
 It helps you to isolate areas needing improvement and plan to
work on them.
 It gives you the raw data you need to track improvement over
time so that you can see how you are improving.
  It helps you to see and analyse how mood, distraction, and
stress relate to performance and flow. This will help you to
develop management programs for these, and apply them
appropriately.

Links

Performing at Your Best in Competition

You can perform best in competition if you remember the following

pointer:

 Enjoy the performance - if you find it dull, then you may need to
psych yourself up or focus on performance rather than outcome
goals. If you are so stressed that you do not enjoy the
performance, implement stress management techniques.
 Execute, analyse and improve skills in practice. In competition
perform thought-free - trust all that hard training. Only analyse
your performance after the event.
 If you make a mistake during performance, forget about it and
focus on executing the next skill properly. Dwelling on past
mistakes will distract you from good performance of present
skills.
 Use Pre-Competition Rituals, On- Site Psych Plans and
Refocusing Plans to block distractions, prepare for all
eventualities, and keep your performance flowing.

Increasing Stress Levels - Psyching Up

Where you are not feeling motivated towards an event, either because
you are bored by it, because there is no serious competition or because
you are tired, you may need to psych yourself up. This will raise your
level of arousal so that you can perform effectively.

The following techniques can be used to psych up:

 Warm up faster and harder

 Use imagery - for example, a swimmer might imagine himself
being chased by a shark!
 Use suggestion - 'I can feel energy flowing into me'
 Focus on the importance of the event
 or Focus on personal goals, such as running a race in a
particular time, rather than unchallenging outcome goals such as
winning (when competition is not intense).
Deciding Your Commitment

Deciding your commitment to your sport is possibly the most important

'Sports Psychology' decision you will make.

If all you want out of sport is a bit of relaxed fun, then your approach
should be entirely different from someone who wants to reach the top. It
is important to realise that excellence demands complete dedication: if
you want to be a top athlete, then training to be a top athlete must be
the most important thing in your life. If your career or family are more
important than your sport, then you will find it difficult to devote the time
and dedication you need to achieve excellence to the sport, unless you
have a very sympathetic boss or family.

Once you have decided how committed you are, adjust your training
and expectations appropriately. Read the section on deciding your
goals.

One way of deciding the relative importance of sport in the context of

your whole life is to download and use Mind Tools goal setting
shareware, 'LifePlan'. Click here for information of LifePlan.

Stress Reduction Techniques

This section shows you effective methods of reducing stress to a level

where you can perform most effectively. The techniques that you select
depend on the cause of the stress and the situation in which the stress
occurs.

In choosing methods to combat stress, it is worth asking yourself where

the stress comes from: if outside factors such as relationship difficulties
are causing stress, then a positive thinking or imagery based technique
may be effective. If the stress is based on the feeling of adrenaline in
the body, then it may be effective purely to relax the body and slow the
flow of adrenaline. As with all sports psychology skills, the effectiveness
of the stress reduction technique depends on practice.

Stress Reduction Techniques Explained

 Environmental Methods
o Reduce the Importance of the Event
o Reduce Uncertainties
o Listen to Music or Relaxation Tapes
 Physical Techniques: these are most effective where stress is
driven by excessive levels of adrenaline.
o Progressive Muscular Relaxation
o Breathing Control
o Biofeedback
 Mental Techniques: most effective where psychological factors
are driving stress.
o Imagery Relaxation
 o Thought Awareness, Rational Thinking and Positive
Thinking
o Remembering past good workouts, performances and
achievements
o Self-Hypnosis and Auto-Suggestion

Symptoms of Stress

The following is a list of the major symptoms of stress that you might
feel:

 Physical Symptoms - mainly in response to increased levels of

adrenaline:
o Increase in heart rate
o Increase in Sweating, and a cooler skin as this combines
with a reduction in the blood flow to your skin.
o 'Butterflies' in your stomach
o Rapid Breathing
o Tense Muscles
o Dry Mouth
o A desire to urinate
 Mental Symptoms
o Worry
o Confusion, inability to concentrate or difficulty making
decisions
o Feeling ill or odd
o Feeling out of control or overwhelmed
 Behavioural Symptoms
o Talking rapidly
o Nervous mannerisms: nail biting, foot tapping, increased
blinking, twitching, pacing
o Scowling
o Yawning

These symptoms of stress should not be taken in isolation

- they could be caused by other factors. However if you
find yourself exhibiting or recognising a number of them,
then it would be worth investigating stress management
techniques. Optimum Stress Levels

The level of stress under which you operate is important: if you are not
under enough stress, then you may find that your performance suffers
because you are bored and unmotivated. If you are under too much
stress, then you will find that your results suffer as you find it difficult to
focus on technique and fail to flow with the performance.
The graph below shows the relationship between stress and quality of
performance:
Where stress is low, you may find that your performance is low because
you become bored, lack concentration and lack motivation. If this state
persists for a long time, then you may find the sport tedious, and give it
up.

Where stress is too high, your performance can suffer from all the
symptoms of stress. Your flow can be disrupted, you can be distracted,
and competition can become threatening and unpleasant.

In the middle, at a moderate level of stress, there is a zone of best

performance. If you can keep yourself within this zone, then you will be
sufficiently aroused to give a high quality performance, while not being
over-stressed and unhappy.

This zone of optimum performance is in a different place and is a

different shape for different people. Some people may operate most
effectively at a level of stress that would leave other people either bored
or in pieces. It is possible that someone who functions superbly in a low
level competition might experience difficulties in high level competition.
Alternatively someone who performs only moderately at low level of
competition might give exceptional performances under extreme
pressure.

Not only will the zones of optimum performance be in different places

for different athletes, they will also be different heights and different
widths. This is why you must take responsibility for controlling your own
levels of stress, particularly in a team situation: if the team generally
needs motivation, but you are in an optimum zone, then paying
attention to a motivating team talk may move you to a state of being
over-stressed. Similarly if some team members need to be relaxed,
then relaxation techniques applied to an entire team may move you to a
state of bored demotivation.

You may also find that fine and complex skills are less tolerant to stress
than simple skills - your zone of optimum performance may be narrower
for very difficult skills than for the basic skills of the sport.

Finding Your Optimum Stress Level

An effective way of finding the stress level at which you operate best is
to keep a training and performance log. In this record the quality of
every training session or performance, along with the level of stress that
you felt during that performance.

If you have stress monitoring equipment, and can score your

performance, then this gives you hard, objective figures to use in your
training log. If you do not have the ability to do this, then record your
subjective views of the stress levels you felt and the quality of the
session.
After a time review the training log - this should give you some good
information on the way that you respond to stress. This information will
help you to decide and implement a stress management program that is
appropriate to the different sporting situations you find yourself in.

Avoiding Burn-Out

What is Burn-Out?

Burn-Out occurs where people who have previously been highly

committed to a sport lose interest and motivation.

Typically it will occur in hard working, hard training, hard driven people,
who become emotionally, psychologically or physically exhausted. This
can occur where:

 you find it difficult to say 'no' to additional commitments or

responsibilities
 someone has been under intense and sustained pressure for
some time
 a perfectionist coach does not delegate
 someone is trying to achieve too much
 someone has been giving too much emotional support for too
long

Often it will express itself in a reduction in motivation, volume and

quality of performance, or in dissatisfaction with or departure from the
sport altogether.

Symptoms of Burn-Out

Burn-out will normally occur slowly, over a long period of time. It may
express itself physically or mentally. Symptoms of burn-out are shown
below:
 Physical Burn-out
o Feelings of intense fatigue
o Vulnerability to viral infection
o Immune breakdown
 Mental Burn-out
o Feeling of lack of control over commitments
o An incorrect belief that you are accomplishing less
o A growing tendency to think negatively
o Loss of a sense of purpose and energy
o Increasing detachment from relationships that causes
conflict and stress, adding to burn-out.
Avoiding Burn-Out

If you are training and performing hard, then you should take great care
not to burn-out.

You can avoid physical burn-out by keeping the sport fun: intense,
difficult training sessions that significantly improve technique should be
mixed with lighter, enjoyable sessions that use new skills to good
advantage. A relatively slow build-up from off-seasons can be adopted
so that your body is not put under excessive stress. You should respect
feelings of intense physical fatigue and rest appropriately.

Similarly, you can avoid mental burn-out by ensuring that the sport
remains fun: there is a limit to your mental energy that you should
respect. As you get better at a sport, people will want more and more of
your time, and will rely on you more and more. It is easy for
commitments to get bigger and bigger: people tend to be quite happy to
consume other peoples mental resources without worrying about the
consequences. You must learn to say 'No' to commitments that you do
not want to take on - otherwise you will be in severe danger of burning
out as you become unhappy with your situation. Involvement in sport
must be fun, otherwise there is no point in doing it.

If you are in Danger of Burning Out...

If you feel that you are in danger of burning out, or are not enjoying your
sport, the following points can help you correct the situation:
 Re-evaluate your goals and prioritise them
 Evaluate the demands placed on you and see how they fit in with
your goals
 Identify your ability to comfortably meet these demands.
 If you are over-involved, reduce the commitments that are
excessive
 If people demand too much emotional energy, become more
unapproachable and less sympathetic. Involve other people in a
supportive role. You owe it to yourself to avoid being bled dry
emotionally.
 Learn stress management skills
 Examine other areas in your life which are generating stress,
such as work or family, and try to solve problems and reduce the
stress
  Get the support of your friends and family in reducing stress
 Ensure that you are following a healthy lifestyle:
o Get adequate sleep and rest to maintain your energy
levels
o Ensure that you are eating a healthy, balanced diet - bad
diet can make you ill or feel bad.
o Get adequate regular aerobic exercise
o Limit your caffeine and alcohol intake
 Perhaps develop alternative activities such as a relaxing hobby
to take your mind off problems
 Acknowledge your own humanity: remember that you have a
right to pleasure and a right to relaxation

Late Stages of Burn-Out

If you are in late stages of burn-out, feeling deeply demotivated and

disenchanted with your sport, get help from a good psychologist.

If You Have Burned Out...

Do not worry. If you are so demotivated in your sport that for a time you
do not want to continue it, then drop it for a while. If you come back
later, you may find that you start to enjoy it again, and can take on only
those commitments you want to.

You may, however, find that you have absolutely no interest in

continuing with the sport. In this case it is best to drop it altogether. If
you are the sort of person who has burned out, i.e. highly motivated and
hard driving, then a complete change of direction may be appropriate -
it is very likely that you will find another area in which you will excel.
You will find that you are only demotivated and listless in the area in
which you burned out.

The difference is that you will have already burned out once: next time you
now know the signs to look for and the things to watch. You will be able to
pace yourself, and control your energy much more effectively, ensuring that
you operate at stress levels where you can give your optimum performance.

Focus and Flow

Focus and Flow are at the heart of Sports Psychology:

 Focus is complete attention to the execution of a skill

 Flow is the state of being completely engrossed in the execution
of a performance to the exclusion of everything else

When you are in a state of flow, focussing intensely on the execution of

skills, you will give your best performances. You enter a state of almost
Zen-like meditation in which mood, distraction and different stressors
simply have no place in your consciousness. You are free to execute
skills just as you have trained to execute them. This is an immensely
satisfying state to achieve.

The qualities of flow are:

 All your attention is focused either

o on the skills or routine being performed
o or on the input from your senses relevant to the sport
 You are fully focused of the activities being performed, and are:
o not aware of your own awareness, consciousness of self
or ego
o not evaluating the quality of execution of skills during
performance
o not concerned with distractions such as results, judges,
audiences or other peoples expectations
o not making any conscious decisions in your mind or
reasoning with words - you are trusting your body to follow
its training
 You are in complete control of actions and reactions
 You feel almost in an altered state of consciousness: achieving
flow is exhilarating, and gives a powerful feeling of competence.

This section of Mind Tools will explain how to achieve flow and focus,
and will explain how to deal with the main things that interfere with it.
These are poor mood control, lack of ability to manage distraction and,
most importantly, how to handle and use stress.

Improving Focus

Analysing your Sport's Focus Requirements

Different sports, and different parts or positions in sports,

require attention to be focussed on different skills and
different cues.

Where success relies on a physical skill being executed,

then focus on that skill.

In other cases, you may have to make a tactical

appreciation before execution of the skill. The appropriate
attention should be paid to this.
Alternatively where an opponent is involved, study and
learn the cues that give away his or her intentions. For
example, foot movements, glances in a particular direction
or tensing of shoulder muscles can give away the fact that
someone is about to throw a punch. Similarly the opponent
may give cues as to defensive tactics to be used which
may be picked up.

The focus requirements and cues to look for will differ from
sport to sport and position to position. You can analyse
them effectively by studying video footage of performance.
This can be slowed down so that all cues can be examined.
You can also pick up information on cues from books or
videos on your sport.

By understanding the cues to look for, you can separate

out the things to which attention should be directed from
the clutter of irrelevant stimuli that occur in a competition
environment.

Training to Improve Focus

You can improve focus by practice and training, much like

any other skill.

You can practise it at its simplest almost as a form of

meditation - firstly study an object for some time: get
completely involved with it, in its shape, colour, texture,
smell, etc. Then practise switching the focus to a different
object, being completely involved in this, and nothing else.

Similarly you can practise focus on sounds, listening to

them and then switching focus to other sounds.

This concentrated attention helps you to feel what sporting

focus feels like. The rapid switching to another thing
practises your ability to switch focus.

In normal training, visualise the performance of a skill

using imagery, then focus on its execution as you actually
perform it. Practise doing the skill without any analysis.
Experience the feeling of flow. Associate this feeling of
flow with a trigger word in your mind.

Keeping Focus as You Get Better

One thing to watch out for as you get better at a sport is
loss of focus. This can happen for two main reasons:

 as your reactions become automatic they hold your

attention less, and
 as you get better, you may find that you are not as
challenged by other competitors.

You may find that these focus problems have their root in
goal setting: if you are setting outcome goals such as
'coming first', then this will not be challenging if you win
easily.

This can be prevented by setting performance goals that

are sufficiently difficult to maintain motivation, a sense of
being stretched and concentration on improving skills even
when competition is weak.

Achieving Flow

Achieving Flow

Flow is easiest to achieve when:

 You perceive that your skills are good enough to match the
perceived difficulty of the contest.
 The competition is not so easy that you become bored and do
not concentrate.
 You have distraction under control
 You are paying full attention to the performance, with no analysis
of errors or technique
 You are relaxed and alert
 You are thinking positively, and have eliminated all negative
thoughts
  It is allowed to develop, and not forced
 You have practised and trained attention

The Zen Approach

Perhaps the most systematic approach to achieving focus and flow so

far is that used in oriental martial arts, such as Karate or Kendo. These
adopt a Zen approach to concentration where the fighter is in a state of
almost pure flow.

In these sports the competitor seeks to lose all distractions of ego,

analysis and from surroundings, immersing him or herself completely
within the activity.

The following things in particular are avoided:

 Wanting to win
 Show off
 Wanting to frighten or terrify the opponent
 The desire to be reactive and not take the initiative
 Trying so hard to achieve the correct state of mind that you
distract yourself.

Effectively Western Sports psychology is now advocating an almost

identical set of strategies through a skills based approach. If, however,
you appreciate a mystical approach, you may appreciate the Zen
approach to focus.

How Focus and Attention Work

This section briefly explains the necessary theory behind the way in
which your brain works. This will put subsequent sections into context.
There are two main things you need to understand:
 How parts of your brain work together, and
 How your brain has evolved to react to stimuli

How Parts of Your Brain Work Together

Your brain is a hugely complex system made up of a vast number of

components interacting in a hugely complex and sophisticated way.
Much of its function is still not understood.

You will probably be aware of the theory that function of the brain is
separated into left and right hemisphere functions. This theory grossly
oversimplifies the complexity of brain function. It does, however, provide
us with a useful model to apply to sports psychology that has a feeling
of intuitive correctness.

The Left Brain/Right Brain Model

This model holds that different high level functions of your brain are
localised into either the left side or the right side in the following way:
 Your Left Brain performs analytical activities that are processed
logically, in sequence, such as:
o Logic and rational thinking
o Language and verbal self-instruction
o Mathematics
o Planning and Goal Setting
o Analysis of a complex skill and construction of an image of
how that skill should be performed
 Whereas your Right Brain controls complex activities where
many factors are handled together, such as:
o Imagery
o Coordination, and execution of complex movements in
space
o Integration of complex skills into flowing movement
o Intuition and creativity

The Left Brain (often called the Analyser) tends to be dominant, as skills
it is responsible for are most intensively trained during education. This
part of the brain analyses and understands new skills, and examines
existing technique or attitudes for errors and faults. This part of the
brain is highly effective during training in improving technique.

The Right Brain (called the Integrator) controls the best performance of
a skill by integrating all the components of the skill into one flowing
movement in which all the isolated components of the skill work
together.

This is important because either your analyser or your integrator should

be dominant in different circumstances:

 During much of training the Analyser should be dominant, picking

up errors, faults in technique or harmful attitudes. It will then
send corrections to the Integrator to amend the complex skill.
Letting the 'Integrator' control practice can end up in empty
training, in which nothing new is learned.
 During performance, however, the Integrator should be in
control, so that all the skills learned are performed in a
completely co-ordinated, flowing way. Similarly in a sport where
complex movements of other competitors have to be taken into
account, the Integrator is most effective in making tactical
decisions. Letting the analyser control performance by criticising
or analysing execution of skills distracts the integrator.
Effectively, you have achieved 'flow' when your integrator is in complete
control of a performance, and is not being distracted either by analysis
from the left side of your brain, or by external factors.

How Your Brain Reacts to Stimuli

Your brain has evolved to protect you from danger. An important part of
this is the response that draws your attention to unexpected or unusual
stimuli. These might, for example, indicate that a predator is about to
strike. Things that indicate danger might be:
 Intense stimuli such as loud noise and flashing light
 Movement
 Unusual stimuli - things not experienced before can be
dangerous
 Absence of usual stimuli - lack of noise might indicate that other
animals are aware of a predator

In a natural environment, this drawing of attention is very important for

survival. However in a modern sporting environment these are
distractions that break flow. Loud noises can come from cheering
crowds. Flashes of light can come from flash photography. Movement
can come from performers in unrelated events, etc.

Part of learning flow is learning to isolate the important stimuli for the
sport from the irrelevant ones that cause distraction. This will involve
learning to selectively override your brains natural reaction to stimuli.

The Truth about Winning!

Welcome to the truth about winning. I have been a tennis pro for over
twenty five years and have successfully taught many players to win. I
work extensively with the mind and have developed a system of
thinking that makes it easier for the mind to grasp and understand
tennis concepts, while at the same time developing mental toughness.
I call this system the Tennis Warrior System. This system was born of
many years of teaching, observation, and results. The Tennis Warrior
System is not theory, but application knowledge. All my books and
tapes are interrelated. The more you read and listen, the more you see
the overall big picture. My books and tapes are designed to give
players critical thinking skills so they can utilize the Mental
Toughness Sphere and quickly develop mental toughness. Thereby,
allowing them, when necessary, to select the correct application from
an arsenal of information in their own mind!1
 The Truth about Winning!

In this way they become a true Tennis Warrior, they are not
intimidated by the ups and downs of a match, they become self
sufficient, and they learn to play in a more instinctive and automatic
mode. In short, they become mentally tough, and win more! The
truth about winning is part of that arsenal of information.

Here are some of the concepts you will learn in this book. First, how
to stay positive in the face of negatives. Second, what negative
thinking really is, and third, two winning mind-sets. There are five
levels through which you will advance. The basic, intermediate,
advanced, professional, and the Tennis Warrior level. Each level
building on the one before until you understand the truth about
winning. At level five you graduate with honors. Here is an outline
of the five levels:

Level 1 Basic - Your correct and incorrect perception of negatives

and positives.

Level 2 Intermediate - A test and a technique for staying positive.

Level 3 Advanced - A master principle for evaluating negatives and

positives.

Level 4 Professional - The correct perception of negatives and

positives applied to winning.

Level 5 The Tennis Warrior - Unexplored Territory.

The Tennis Warrior is a thinker who has learned the art of being
mentally tough. He has accomplished this by the accumulation of
valuable information that can be utilized at the proper time. The
Tennis Warrior’s mental toughness is not reserved for only playing
pros, but for every level of play.

The Truth about Winning!

You can learn to think correctly whether you are a beginner or

championship player. Mental Toughness, as the name implies, is in
the mind. Therefore, the Tennis Warrior seeks out information that
will build his mind so he can instinctively make the correct mental
decisions in a competitive event. Anyone can learn to be a Tennis
Warrior if they are willing to let go of some preconceived incorrect
Ideas that appear correct, but on closer investigation are not rooted in
true success principles. Success principles that work, are time tested,
but often forgotten. It is my opinion that these principles are
forgotten because of two reasons.

First, when success is finally achieved, it always appears

complicated. The unsuspecting onlooker confuses the outcome with
the process of achievement. The final achievement may be
complicated, but this does not mean the process of accomplishing
that achievement is complicated. The process for success is always
planted firmly in simple success principles. I have a phrase I use to
help my students understand this principle and apply it to tennis.
That phrase is, do the simple right, then do the simple better, then
simply be the best at doing the simple. The pros do the simple so
well, you think it is complicated! Often, this is not a simple lesson to
learn.

Second, in this day and age everyone desires success, but no one
wants to do what is necessary to reach their goals. As a result, they
desperately search for short cuts and abandon the true pathways to
success. The final outcome is pseudo success. Since this type of
success is not founded on correct success principles, when the
pressure is on they fall apart. Hundreds of books are written that
promise you short cuts to success. Listen to the title of a tennis book
that is on the market that says it all. The title is, "Learn to be an "A"
Player in a Weekend." Do you think many tennis players would buy
this book?

The Truth about Winning!

To me these two reasons are why true success principle are often
talked about, but rarely applied. If you are interested in short cuts
and not interested in the true success process, this book is not for
you. However, if you would like to learn "the truth about winning"
that is rooted in these success principles, This book is definitely for
you.

Additionally, you will learn principles and concepts that can be

applied to any sport, business, or life. I have been involved in sports
either as a player or coach for most of my life. The athletic arena to
me is just a microcosm of life. In sports or in life you are always
faced with negative and positive situations that requires skillful
mental maneuvering, as well as the possession of excellent problem
solving capabilities. You must contend with self-doubt,
discouragement, and despair as well as conviction, encouragement,
and inspiration. Your confidence, character, and self-esteem are all
challenged as well. Many times all three, your confidence, character,
and self-esteem are called upon to rise to the occasion.

How your mind handles these challenges in the athletic arena will be
similar in the business and life arenas. If you justify and rationalize
your negatives, mistakes, and failures in the field of sports, you will
do the same in life. If you blame everyone and everything for your
failures in sports, you will do the same in life. If you have many
successes in sports and become carried away with yourself, you will
do the same in life.

On the positive side, if in the athletic arena you handle failures and
successes correctly, you will do the same in life. The way you think
in sports will be the same way you think in life and the way you
think in life will be the same way you think in sports. I mean, after
all, it is YOUR thinking and you bring your thinking with you in
whatever arena you may be in, whether it is sports, business, or life.
One always influences the other. Therefore, even though this is a
book about tennis, what you will learn will reach far beyond the
athletic arena

The Truth about Winning!

into the core of your thinking. I can only hope that you are prepared.
If not, when you are finished reading this book – you will be!

Now, onto the truth about winning.

SOCCER PSYCHOLOGY

Finding Common Ground During Communication

by Jason Vittrup
[email protected]

This article is taken from Jason Vittrup's upcoming book, tentatively entitled Into Soccer Psychology. Each issue of Soccer Sideline will feature a small portion
Alabama Youth Soccer Association. He has agreed to let us post his coaching articles on this website. You may contact Jason at (205) 967-8074 or Fax # (205
Jason & AYSA provide many Annual Soccer Camps. You may also purchase Jason's videotape 25 Moves and Exercises (Order # 5042) on-line from Sys

in order to effectively communicate, or to persuade, it is imperative the communicator find common ground. This common ground is the ultimate stimulus for
understood, more appreciated. This establishment of common ground is necessary to open the individual to further possibilities.
There is no greater myth than "opposites attract." While a person might continue to be fascinated with abilities or perspectives he does not have, maintaining
much time with, or listening to, someone who is constantly in opposition.
Much communication (estimated around 55%) is true result of physiology during transference. This includes tone, volume, true number and length of pauses
speed of delivery, spatial relationships, posture, or any other discernible trait. Body language is a major factor in establishing common ground.
Dr. Juergen Reusch, Professor of Psychiatry at the University of California, is quite adamant about such subconscious dissemination. In his book, "Nonverba
some 700,000 nonverbal signals. This is a staggering statistic when one considers how limited many vocabularies are.
One way of utilizing body language to effectively communicate is through 'mirroring.' In combination with the right selection of words, mirroring creates a rapp
is said if the largest part of communication - physiology - matches. While words are deciphered consciously, physiology is usually evaluated subconsciously
In the relationship between the subconscious and the conscious parts of the brain, information must first pass through the subconscious before the consciou
stored in the memory bank. If the information agrees with the self-image, the 'clear' signal is given, and the conscious acts. The subconscious, despite what m
Every bit of information stored in the subconscious remains. It cannot be destroyed by the conscious. The memory might be ignored, or distorted, but never e
to this premise. Penfield and Roberts stimulated a number of patients' brain cells with an electrode, in the expectation that memories stored in the subconscio
the patients recalled every detail, including odors, colors, and sounds. The memory was more than just a recollection. It was the actual re-experiencing of the a
The subconscious has no capacity to think for itself. It acts only in mechanistic fashion, fulfilling any request made upon it, regardless of authenticity. It simply
identifies with the communicator, the greater reception by the conscious.
Mirroring allows the subject to feel as the has found someone 'just like me, " and also gives the mirrorer the ability to experience the same physiology as the su
can understand, say, the muscular tension of another, has he not drawn closer to understanding his thoughts? The most successful communicators continu
at mirroring. Each practiced various physical traits until she actually began feeling closer to others, closer to success. The best first step a communicator can t
situations to himself--visually, auditorially, or kinesthetically. With flexibility and practice, the communicator will find reception clearer than ever.

The potential of establishing common ground goes further, but is possible only when two people communicate in a relaxed manner, seemingly mirrors of eac
two people (especially first-time encounters) are filled with tension or anxiety.
However, excellent opportunities arise when discussing matters with a parent or interviewing for a job, trying to develop a better relationship with a particularly
developing rapport in an effort to elicit a desired response.
An even more powerful communication exists when it is possible to actually direct circumstances. This is known as leading. After successfully creating rappo
himself. Change can be initiated through the power of rapport. Subtle gestures, shifting posture, speech patterns, etc. can elegantly direct the process into an a
communicator's ability to employ flexibility.
The most persuasive people constantly try different avenues until a connection is made. If the idea falters, the fault was not necessarily in the message. Often t
methods of getting that message through the barriers, into a receptive mind.