|| PSYCHOLOGY
The Complexity of Player Behavior
DAN ABRAHAMS //
That player who tends to switch off and often disrupts teammates . Maybe they ’ re being rude ? Or maybe you ’ re not capturing their attention sufficiently ? Maybe they lack discipline ? Or maybe they haven ’ t been taught ways to focus their attention appropriately ?
Do you bench them ? Or do you help them ? Do you chastise them or do you upskill them ?
That player who pushes back a bit when you coach them . Maybe they ’ re being arrogant ? Or maybe they ’ re acting with a sense of autonomy — a characteristic that modern society asks from our young people ? Maybe they ’ re being disrespectful ? Or maybe they have a trait like assertiveness coursing through their veins ?
Do you bench them ? Or do you take another path and cocreate coaching solutions with this confident young person ?
That player who gets anxious as kick-off approaches . Are they just weak ? A little soft perhaps ? Or has no one ever shown them skills that help them to psychologically flex — skills that help them understand they have the capacity to self-manage if they practice mindset techniques ?
Do you bench them ? Or do you coach them practical mental skills they can incorporate into their training program ?
You see , here ’ s the thing …
Your players don ’ t get to choose all of their behaviors . But with skills and with support , most , if not all their behaviors can be managed appropriately and harnessed accordingly . With skills and with support , their behaviors become more of a choice . A simpler choice , perhaps !
Let me take a slightly deeper dive into human functioning to explain myself further .
The behaviors your players exhibit are a consequence of the feelings , emotions and thoughts that emerge inside of them moment-to-moment . And these internal forces can ’ t be fully controlled . It ’ s just not that simple !
Thoughts happen to your players . Emotions happen to your players . Feelings happen to your players .
Your players are a complex web of inner forces that collide and combine to make them who they are . So , when considering the content of these feelings , emotions
12 | Soccer Journal