You may not believe it but it’s true that in Coaching high school soccer, mind is the most dominant device that a soccer player can have. The most powerful players are those who demonstrate full control over mind and body.
It is through the process of visualization that players can train their minds to develop a self portrait. They do it by using all the senses to re-establish or produce an experience inside the mind. The best kind of learning is a blend of visualization. It is a blend of mental rehearsal that consequently train the mind and physical practice that prepares the body.
Visualization in soccer coaching can also be used by the coach to deal with many performance issues. This is a mental skill wherein the player pictures himself or herself playing soccer. It involves feeling, seeing, hearing, and even smelling the accomplishment.
As a result of it, a positive picture of this specific situation then remains inside the player’s memory. So the player can immediately recall and refer to it in case the situation demands. Also, by having something to fall back on, the player will not be caught completely clueless.
While coaching youth soccer, make the players practice visualization regularly for the mental images to become clearer. It’ll boost player’s confidence significantly when the images they draw become clearer and their emotional support more influential.
At times a player has to remain isolated from the team, cannot participate in training, lose out on the everyday learning on field due to injury. This has a deep psychological impact on their minds. Here again, it is the coach’s job to encourage the player to visualize the injury and healing in strong and positive ways.
In coaching high school soccer, help the player understand the tactical shape of the team and his or her role within it. This will give them encouragement to do well. At the time of strategic changes, the coach can visualize his strategies to the team which may be of the form, “If this happens…then we will…”
All players do get stressed. To learn to manage it is the key to be a successful player. You can use visualization as a way of rehearsing opportunities with players who are prone to stress.
In a situation like this, the players normally see moments of possible stress and train the mind negatively. Past success, experience, players’ ability and the strength of the team can be recalled by the coach to change the image in the player’s mind.
Normally, some situations occur in football coaching, where players generally play a spontaneous game. Players have time to think and hence rehearse their actions in situations such as penalties, free kicks and corners.
Put this to the test right away in coaching high school soccer and change the way the players visualize themselves and their situations positively and enthusiastically.
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Andre Botelho is known online as “The Expert Youth Soccer Coach” and his free ebooks and reports have been downloaded more than 100,000 times. Learn how to skyrocket your players’ skills and make practice sessions fun in record time. Download your free ebook at: Soccer Coaching.