| THE MENTAL |
BUILD GOOD HABITS FOR POST-SEASON
DR. LYNN PANTUOSCO-HENSCH Westfield State University
The Yoffs, The Chip …
Whatever you call the playoffs nowadays, there is an inherent excitement to post-season soccer at just about every level. Whether you are a seasoned college coach or a coach new to the youth soccer scene, you’ ve likely been working hard with your team to make your respective post-season tournament. Now that you’ ve made it, how do you best prepare your players?
Through the United Soccer Coaches courses or tools like the Training Ground, there are plenty of resources to help your team prepare physically for the post-season. But as many of us know from experience, mental preparation is often the deciding factor when the championship is on the line. When my own youth team had their first playoff recently, I reminded them of the wise words of Edna Mode from Disney’ s The Incredibles:“ Luck favors the prepared.”
In“ The Mental,” coaches learn ways to build good sport psychology habits with their players and teams. For example, in the June 2023 Bulletin, I wrote about Authentic Training, which is when the training environment closely resembles the demands of real game situations by establishing a competitive atmosphere.
Coaches can reference that article for practical strategies to mentally prepare players to withstand competitive stress throughout the season. While mental preparation is important during the regular season, it is especially key to post-season success.
In this installment of“ The Mental,” the focus is on mental preparation for the post-season. Guidance will be shared in a“ what, why, how” format. Strategies for“ how” to mentally prepare will span various ages and stages. Coaches can adjust the guidance to best fit the needs and competitive level of their teams.
46 | Soccer Journal