In the fast-paced and highly competitive world of soccer, players may find it difficult to constantly maintain a calm demeanor on the field. But being able to compose yourself during game time is vital to performing at your best.
Remaining calm amidst the chaos allows players to make better decisions and control their emotions. This helps to get the player to peak performance.
Our Blayze soccer coaches want to help you develop strategies to become more calm during games. Read through this blog to gain insights on calming your nerves and focusing your mind.
Chapter 1 – Importance of Calmness in Soccer
Chapter 2 – Strategies for Enhancing Calmness in Soccer Players
Chapter 3 – Practical Application
Chapter 4 – Success Stories and Resources
Chapter 1 - Importance of Calmness in Soccer
Soccer is a game that demands physical talent, tactical insight, and mental fortitude. Typically, physical skills are emphasized much more than the importance of mental fortitude. But remaining calm on the soccer field is as significant as any physical trait.
First, it is important to understand that every athlete deals with some sort of nerves or anxiety before their performance. You are not the only one! And not all athletes handle their nerves in the same way. What one player does to help calm their nerves may not help another player.
Before we dive into how to develop a calmer mindset while playing, let us discuss why it is important to develop mental fortitude (the ability to master your emotions).
Fight or Flight Mode
When we are not calm, our sympathetic nervous system is activated which is our “fight or flight” mode. This negatively impacts our athletic ability and decision-making. Learning to calm yourself and activating your parasympathetic nervous system is key to staying mentally focused during games.
Science shows (we are going to get a bit “sciency” here!) that when you breathe deeply and slowly, you stimulate your vagus nerve. This is a key component of the parasympathetic nervous system – the system that sends signals of relaxation to your body. It helps to slow down your heart rate, blood pressure, and promotes a sense of calm.
Deep breathing allows you to take in a greater amount of oxygen to your lungs. Oxygen is essential for the proper functioning of your cells and organs. It helps your body function more efficiently and your muscles to stay engaged and active.
Making Sound Decisions
One of the benefits of remaining calm in soccer is the ability to make sound decisions. Players who maintain their composure and keep a level head have a greater capacity to analyze the situation, evaluate decisions, and choose the most effective options. Calmness allows players to think clearly and avoid impulsive choices that can lead to errors or missed opportunities.
Enhancing Focus and Concentration
Maintaining your composure helps you concentrate on the game and block out distractions. Things like crowd noise, opponent’s taunts, or even your own internal pressure can get in your head. When you stay composed you can direct your attention toward the game.
Managing Pressure and Anxiety
Calmness helps players manage anxiety and stress and allows them to perform at their best when the pressure is high. By keeping emotions in check, players are less likely to be overwhelmed by pressure and are more likely to execute their skills effectively.
Improving Performance and Efficiency
When soccer players are calm, their physical abilities are able to shine. Calmness reduces tension in the body, enabling players to move more fluidly, react quicker, and maintain better balance. It allows for smoother communication and coordination with their teammates. This leads to improved teamwork and overall game performance.
Cultivating Resilience and Mental Strength
Calmness helps players develop resilience and bounce back from setbacks. It helps you stay focused on the task at hand and allows players to adapt to changing conditions of the game. This helps to create a greater sense of mental strength and emotional stability on and off the field.
Calmness in soccer helps to influence a player’s decision-making, focus, performance, and mental resilience. When players understand the importance of a calm mind, they can reach their full potential of playing and contribute more effectively to their team.
Chapter 2 - Strategies for Enhancing Calmness in Soccer Players
Walking out onto the soccer field before a game can often be an exhilarating and nerve-wracking experience. You may have butterflies in your stomach and your mind might be racing with what to do, what not to do, and a bunch of other positive and negative thoughts.
Being able to calm your nerves before a game will help you in maintaining your mental fortitude throughout the game.
Pre-match Preparation
Coach Mike has given you all some great insights on how to calm your nerves before a game in this previous article. He gives you in-depth insights into breathing techniques and creating a routine before the game.
As a recap, here are some ideas to help calm your nerves before a game.
Deep Breathing
Deep breathing is a simple yet powerful technique to help calm your nerves. Try taking slow, deep breaths, inhaling through your nose, and exhaling through your mouth. Focus on your breath. Notice it entering and leaving your body. Allow your breath to bring you back to the present moment. Deep breathing sparks the body’s relaxation response, reducing anxiety, and promoting a sense of calmness.
Visualization
Visualizing success and mentally rehearsing how you want to play during the game can help stop pre-game jitters. Close your eyes and visualize yourself executing your skills with precision, making accurate passes, and stopping strikers or scoring goals. Try and engage all your senses through visualization. Imagine the sounds of the field, the sights you may see, and the feelings you get when you are successful. Through visualizing positive outcomes, you can build your confidence and lower your anxiety.
Positive Self-Talk
The power of positive self-talk is, well, powerful! When you replace negative thoughts and self-doubts with positive affirmations, you help to remind yourself of your strengths and skills. Repeat phrases such as “I am prepared,” “I am confident,” and “I know I can do this.” By consciously directing your thoughts toward positive statements, you shift your mindset and calm your nerves.
Create a Pre-Game Routine
Develop a pre-game routine to create a sense of familiarity and control, reducing anxiety. Design a routine that works for you. Incorporate activities that help you relax and focus. This may include stretching exercises, listening to music that calms you, meditating, or going through a specific warm-up routine. Do this routine before every game to signal to your mind and body that it is time to enter a calm and focused state.
Listen to Music
Create a playlist of calming and soothing music that resonates with you. Before your game, listen to this playlist to help relax your mind. Focus on the melodies and rhythms. Allow the music to transport you to a peaceful state. Music can serve as a powerful tool to distract you from negative thoughts and put you into a positive and relaxed mindset.
Pre-Game Activities
Travis Thomas, a USMNT trainer, has his players participate in various activities to help them prepare for their games. One is by picking a mantra word. Before every game, pick a one-word mantra - it can be anything! Repeat the word to yourself over and over again before the game. Then when you find yourself distracted during the game, you say your mantra and it helps you come back to the game. It helps to refocus you on the present.
A second activity is one you need with a partner. You will sit facing each other. The point is to count to 3, without losing focus. The first person says one, the second person says two, then the first person says three. From there, the second person says one, then the first person says two, and so on and so on. 1,2,3. 1,2,3. 1,2,3. Keep going and see how fast the two of you can go before messing up. The point of this activity is to help you focus on the present and block out distractions.
In-Match Techniques
Even the best pre-game routine may not get rid of all your nerves. Or something happens during the game, and you feel the anxiety and jitters coming back. So what do you do then?
When you have trained yourself to be calm before games, you will be able to go out on the field and fall into an intuitive state of play. Meaning, your body knows what to do. If you continue to focus on your nerves, you then start to become a thinking player and not an intuitive player. A thinking player is too slow for soccer.
What do you do when you find your nerves are coming back during the game? How do you get out of your head?
Focus on the Present Moment
When anxiety arises while you are playing, one of the best things you can do is focus on the present moment. Concentrate on the game at hand, the ball, and your immediate surroundings. Stop replaying past mistakes or potential future outcomes. You cannot control the future or change the past. But you can control your mental state in the present moment. By directing your attention to the present, you reduce anxiety and enhance your ability to make quick decisions on the field. Trust your skills and training and stay in the present moment.
Travis Thomas mentions that when you can remove emotion from the situation, then you can clear your head and focus on what matters. Even the best players in the world get nervous. What separates them is their ability to accept the nerves and refocus their mind on the one or two in-game actions they need to focus on executing to drive a good outcome in the game.
It is the coach’s job to help you understand what those 1 or 2 things you need to focus on are. If your mind is racing and you do not know what those actions are, ask! Your coach is there to guide you.
Thomas suggests taking a few moments to breathe and clear your head, allowing you to remove those nerves and anxious thoughts. When the nerves are calmed, then you can refocus your mind on what you need to focus on. Passing accurately, strong shots on goal, using your body to block the opponent, etc.
Your goal is not to be perfect; your goal is how quickly you notice that you are distracted so you can refocus your attention on your intentions. How quickly can you refocus your thoughts to where you know you will be effective?
Focused Breathing
Focused breathing, also known as diaphragmatic breathing, involves consciously directing your breath to deepen and slow down. Unlike shallow chest breathing, focused breathing engages the diaphragm. This type of breathing promotes relaxation, oxygenates the body, and calms the nervous system.
By practicing focused breathing, you activate your body’s relaxation response. This triggers a state of calmness and reduces the production of stress hormones. This technique can be practiced anywhere, at any time, to alleviate stress and promote a sense of calm.
Practice focused breathing outside of your games so that you know which technique works best for you. Experiment with box breathing, 4-7-8 breath, or alternate nostril breathing. Then when game time hits and you feel nervous while playing, you can quickly focus on your breathing and reset your nervous system.
When we consciously focus on our breath, it provides us with a focal point for our attention. This can divert our focus away from stressful or intrusive thoughts and redirect us to the present moment.
Attention Control
Attention control is the ability to sustain focus on specific stimuli while also filtering out unneeded information. In soccer, athletes need to concentrate on critical cues, like an opponent’s movements, the ball trajectory, or tactical plays. Attention control allows athletes to stay focused on the game, make accurate decisions, and perform precise movements. This will give you a competitive edge.
In high-pressure situations, athletes must learn to direct their attention selectively. You need to identify specific cues that are crucial to your performance and focus only on those. When you filter out unneeded distractions – like the noise of the crowd – you can maintain a clear mental space that allows for optimal decision-making.
Reframing Challenges as Opportunities
Athletes often encounter obstacles and setbacks during competitions. Instead of allowing these challenges to consume your attention, reframe them as opportunities for growth and learning. By shifting your mindset, you redirect your attention from negative distractions to positive thoughts. For example, if you find you are constantly battling a player that is bigger and faster than you. Don’t let negative thoughts creep in that you are not as good as that player. Use the challenge to make it an opportunity for you to play smarter.
How Do I Defend Against a Quicker and More Skilled Soccer Player?
Utilize Breaks
Utilize breaks like half-time to help you reset your mind and refocus on what you can control. Talk to your coach about what they want to see you do more of. Chat with your teammates about what they are struggling with or what they feel you are doing well.
Chapter 3 - Practical Application
Training and Practice Incorporation
To stay calm during games and develop a stronger mental fortitude, you have to practice your calming techniques before game day.
One of the best ways to practice breathing techniques is right before bed. As you are lying in bed, focus on your breathing. Start by breathing normally. Then deepen your breath and slowly exhale. Go through the various types of focused breathing techniques (previously mentioned) and see which one you like the best. Focused breathing will also help you sleep better!
Use your calming techniques before practice. If you have to practice being good at scoring goals, then you should practice being good at developing a calm mind. Create your calming playlist before practice and try out the songs. If anything sounds strange or doesn’t help, remove it from the playlist. This way you are ready to go for game day.
Team Environment and Support Systems
Anxiety and nerves is an increasingly common issue affecting people of all ages and backgrounds. Mental health issues are now coming to the surface in many collegiate and professional sports environments. One of the best resources to help you manage any nerves or anxiety issues is the support of your fellow teammates.
When you share your experiences and concerns with your teammates, you can help to create a safe space where you and others can be heard, accepted, and understood. Opening up about any nervous or anxiety issues allows others to offer their empathy and their perspectives on the subject. This helps to alleviate feelings of being the only one who has the problem. It also helps to provide a strong foundation for overcoming mental health issues collectively.
Teammates are our companions on the field but also can be our emotional support system. When we share our anxiety-related thoughts and feelings with our trusted teammates, it allows us to unburden ourselves from the weight of our worries. You can do this in open conversations, in group discussions, or even in one-on-one settings. Confiding in your teammates helps to validate your experiences and reminds you that you are not alone in your struggles.
Your teammates can help to encourage you and reinforce your beliefs in your skills and abilities. This can help contribute to your self-confidence and help stop performance anxiety.
Teammates can also offer their ideas on how they cope with stress, anxiety, and nerves. They may have a relaxation routine that you find beneficial as well! Your teammates are a great resource for handling nerves, use them to help you gain better control over your mental fortitude and control over your emotions.
Chapter 4 - Success Stories
We have repeatedly stated that typically all athletes suffer through bouts of anxiety or nerves when it comes to game performance. This also includes professional athletes. Many of your favorite pros still suffer from nerves or anxiety issues.
This is not a full list of professional soccer players who overcame their nerves or anxiety issues, but it is a great start in helping you understand that nerves can get to you at any age and any level!
Professional Soccer Players
Andres Iniesta
Spanish soccer player Andres Iniesta holds a World Cup title. But while he played at FC Barcelona, he developed anxiety and depression from struggling to cope with the expectations of the media and fans. Iniesta leaned on the support of his family and friends and sought help for his mental health. His career is decorated with several titles and trophies and instead of being scared for playing soccer, he found comfort in playing the game.
Jessie Lingard
Now the English footballer plays for Nottingham Forest, but while at Manchester United, Lingard struggled with a lot of anxiety and depression. He described it as feeling isolated and even considered giving up soccer. But he sought out and worked with a sports psychologist to help him manage his symptoms. Lingard’s brother would send him video clips of his younger days, dominating the soccer fields. This also helped him remember how much he loved the sport and to continue to work on his mental health.
Christian Pulisic
Captain America himself has struggled with anxiety. He has frequently discussed his mental health with others to help them know it is not an uncommon issue. He has said he was frustrated and felt helpless when he was out with injury. Through therapy, he learned how to change his mindset and to think about his problems in a different way.
“Everyone has their problems, everyone has difficulties getting through different things in life, whatever their circumstances may be. So it’s really important that everyone is really conscious of just the way they’re feeling and then their own mental health.”
Youth Soccer Development Programs
US Youth Soccer took a groundbreaking step when it partnered with the US Center for Mental Health & Sport. This collaboration aims to prioritize and enhance the mental health support available to youth soccer players.
Players of all ages face pressures and expectations of performance combined with academic commitments. These factors can contribute to increased stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges. The US Center for Mental Health & Sport provides mental health support and resources to all athletes. They can extend their expertise and tailored programs to young soccer players across the country.
The partnership delivers materials and programs to coaches, parents, and athletes that focuses on mental health awareness, coping strategies, and emotional resilience. Coaches and parents can receive specialized training programs on creating supportive environments, recognizing signs of mental distress, and providing appropriate support to players.
Conclusion
Mindfulness is a powerful practice that can help you stay focused and present in the heat of the game. Before stepping onto the field, take a few moments to center yourself through deep breathing or meditation. During the game, anchor your attention to the present moment. Let go of any past mistakes or future anxieties.
Preparation is also a crucial role in helping you develop calmness and mental fortitude. Get in your training so your skills and techniques are sharp. Familiarize yourself with the game plan and tactics (if given to you early) so you feel confident in your role with the team. Create a warmup routine that you do before every game to help trigger your body to start to focus. When you are prepared, you can approach the game with calmness.
Remember that is a game. While the desire to win is natural, excessive attachment to outcomes can lead to anxiety and tension. Focus on enjoying the game, playing to the best of your abilities, and appreciating the relationships you have with your teammates.
Learn More With Blayze!
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