This weeks motivation and mindset talk comes from a question I got from user ZockerPaul1.
He says “When i play with my friends i play very good. But when i play in a game i always play bad. I feel like i dont have the power to do anything. What can i do? ”
This is a problem that a lot of players run into, and it usually has to do with the level of games vs. the level of practices.
You have to remember that playing is a game feels completely different that playing with friends or playing in practice. People don’t push as hard when they are scrimmaging in practice, partially because the results in a practice match don’t matter.
You almost never see friends in a pick up game fouling each other to stop goals being scored, or physically pushing each other off the ball.
In a real game though, everything is taken up a level because the result matters. No one wants to lose, so there’s a real jump in intensity that happens in real games.
You step out on the field and it just all feels more real somehow.
So what do you do to take your game on the field to the same level as your practice? Here’s my two top tips for doing this.
#1 sounds simple, but it’s really important – spend more time with the ball outside of games.
When you step out on the field during a game, it’s a jarring experience. You start getting bumped around, and everything goes really fast. If you’re not prepared, this can totally throw you off your game. There’s so much stuff for your mind to process that you suddenly can’t focus consciously on your fundamentals anymore.
When you’ve got to keep track of the opposing team, your team, the pressure of playing in a game, your coach, etc, it’s very difficult to devote your brainpower to fundamental things like trapping the ball, retaining the ball, and making good passes.
This is where outside of game training comes in. You need to practice enough that these fundamental, basic things become automatic. You need to have practiced dribbling outside of games enough that you don’t have to think about keeping the ball close to your body. You need to be able to trap the ball without thinking about it, because during a game, you’re going to be focused on the other team, and your team, and pretty much everything except trapping the ball.
The only way you develop this level of touch and control is by practicing, practicing, practicing. Practice until it’s automatic.
#2 has to do with what you do on the field – focus on the simple things.
It’s easy to get out on the field and try to beat 5 different players, or take extra touches up the field when you should pass, things like that. If you’re struggling with your performance on the field though, don’t do this.
Focus on playing a smart, simple game. Make it your whole goal to simply receive the ball well, retain it and look up the field, and make a good pass. Practice not losing the ball. Practice being a good outlet for your team so that they know then when they pass you the ball, you’re not going to lose it.
Don’t complicate it by trying to dribble a lot. To many players spend too much time trying to dribble when the better choice is to pass.
If you’re a defender, focus on simple things like staying goalside of your man when marking. Don’t try to score. If you steal the ball, focus on making a good pass or clearance out of your area. Don’t try to dribble up field. Focus on the fundamental things on the field that will make you successful.
All those other things are distractions. If you’re struggling to do well on the field, do not complicate things. Start with the simple, important things. Focus on doing the little things well.
Once you start developing that confidence out on the field, then you can try new things.
You have to start with the little steps, then move on to the big ones!
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