It seems like the whole world today makes a big deal about having the “will to win.” We’re told over and over again that if we just want something bad enough, we can make it happen. Endless clips are shown of athletes getting interviewed after they win championships talking about “How bad they wanted to be successful.” We hear great stories about how great players step up in big games.
This narrative makes for good tv, but it never really gets to the heart of WHY athletes can step up in big games. They skip over that part because it’s not exciting or glamorous. However, if you want to succeed, it’s important that you realize why other people are successful.
They don’t have any more “will to win” than anyone else. What successful people have that other people don’t is the “will to prepare.”
Preparation is what makes champions. If you don’t train and develop your skills and abilities, all the will to win in the world can’t make you a champion. All the desire in the world won’t change the fact that if you’re out of shape, you’re going to get beat. While you’ve been sitting around thinking about how great winning would feel, your opponent is training and preparing with one goal in mind – Beating You!
Now will to win is important. If you aren’t willing to push yourself in competition, you won’t be successful. However, when you hit that point in a game where you’re completely exhausted and ready to quit, you will only be able to push through if you have trained and prepared for that moment.
At the beginning of the season, pick a goal. However, don’t stop there. Develop a plan of how you’re planning to achieve that goal and STICK WITH IT! Remember how important preparation is to achieving your goal. Every time you feel like skipping a training session, remind yourself –
It’s not the will to win that matters.
It’s the will to PREPARE to win that matters.
– Justin
If you’re looking for some more soccer motivation, check out our soccer motivator section
If you’re looking for somewhere to start on your training journey, check out the training guides in our soccer training guides section. There are some great resources in there to help you get started, including a couple free soccer training guides.
Finally, if you’re just looking for a couple soccer drills to practice your skills, check out our free soccer drills section.
