October 15, 2024: Competitive and elite level soccer players, here’s the BIG question – Do you have a healthy relationship with the game?! ❤️⚽️ Before you answer that question, let’s define what healthy relationship means.
A healthy relationship with the game of soccer means you are able to SIMULTANEOUSLY embody these two things at once:
(1) I am super driven to win, to score, to protect the goal. I show up to compete, I leave it all on the field, and I am passionate about my pursuit of winning and being the best….
and
(2) I also COMPLETELY know that as long as I do everything I can, and give my all in the spaces I can control, that it will ultimately be OK. Meaning, if we don’t win – yes, I will definitely have feelings about it, whether that’s disappointment or frustration, etc., BUT I do understand that all that I can do is ALL THAT I CAN DO. As as long as I did that, things are moving forward.
I’ll have my feelings about the results, but I am not going to associate that result with my self-worth or define myself by the numbers on the scoreboard, because I understand that I STILL WON today.
I WON because I moved myself forward toward becoming the player and person I want to be. I DID THAT. I did that FOR MYSELF. I got closer to that long term vision of myself, and that is the win that actually matters.
A healthy relationship with the game means that my confidence is NOT attached to the outcome, my confidence is attached to the INPUT.
And the input is all of the things in the game that I can control: my effort, my energy, my leadership, my focus, my resiliency, my movement off the ball, my communication, my intensity, my attention to detail, etc. If you want to be the best player you can be, winning the game is nice, but THESE ARE THE ACTUAL WINS FOR THE DAY.
Having a healthy relationship with the game means I can use loses in a positive way to drive me and motivate me to keep going, I don’t use them in a detrimental, self-defeating way because I know that I literally did everything I could do, and instead of beating myself up, I just focus on the next steps to keep improving.
To summarize, what it means to have a healthy relationship with the game is that I can BOTH be super driven to win and produce results, but also (viewing things from a higher level) be able to redefine success as it relates to me moving forward toward becoming the player and person I want to be.
Till next time,
💎 What I’m digging: The change of seasons 🍂☕️🌲
👩🏽💻 What I’m reading: Twelve Yards: The Art and Psychology of the Perfect Penalty Kick
🎧 What I’m listening to: These fantastic and beautiful distance reiki sessions to fall asleep too…
Grow your confidence through preparedness.
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Hi everyone! I’m Jenn and I create content to help female soccer players and coaches maximize individual and team potential by developing healthy mindset skills. Join other subscribers and sign up for the newsletter for all my best tips and advice!
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