How To Conquer Self Doubt On The Soccer Pitch So That You Perform With Confidence

How do you manage self-doubt and banish them from your mind?

You can try a concept called cognitive reframing.  This means seeing your performances on the pitch from a different angle.  So in this case in ways that will help you perform at your best more consistently.

Try these steps for reframing doubts:

1. Think back to a recent performance when you doubted your ability. List what was going through your mind, the chatter that you experienced at the time.
2. Now State the doubts above as if you are thinking out loud. Here’s an example of a recent client who struggled against big physical teams:
   
   Doubt: “I worry I may get muscled off the ball, he’s so strong.”
3. Reframe and/or challenge each statement. Turn each doubt into a statement of confidence and conviction:
   
   “I will concentrate on myself, my skills and strengths.  I’ll commit to every tackle and header the way I normally do.”

Here’s a bonus strategy too!  To cement these ideas what you can do is replay the different scenarios in your mind, rehearsing these new statements of confidence that you have come up with you can call them up easily in matches and in training.  

When visualising I’d also bring the emotional experience into the equation too considering how you want to feel in the different situations you come up with.  Do you want to feel big and strong like a lion?  Do you want to feel determined? Do you want to feel relaxed and confident? 

Add in you behaviours and actual response, and this is a seriously powerful exercise.  For example, going up for a head with the big physical player.  You may say “I’m going to make it tough for him to win the ball.”  You may feel, physically strong and committed to the challenge.  Your behaviour could be pushing your body weight against his to gain an advantage, or away from the referee’s eyes giving him a nudge and a push!

With the many soccer and football players that we support, we find this strategy is hugely helpful and really can challenge the doubts that you come up with in your mind, whilst embracing confident and motivational self-talk.

“I’m getting a lot out of the sessions, the message that has really stuck with me and seems like it has made a big difference is the change in focus to looking at what I can control. Over the past few weeks, I’ve seen a quite remarkable change in my approach to playing- I’m playing more freely, with more determination and really consistent- which has always been one of my challenges.”  Steven, Professional Footballer.