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It’s the World Cup and David Beckham is playing brilliantly against Argentina. In
the second half, Beckham was fouled by midfielder, Digeo Simeone , who rammed him in the back
and knocked him down. Beckham, while still lying on the ground, retaliated in anger with
a kick, right in front of the referee.
He was kicked out and England was forced to play with only 10 men the rest of the game.
They ended up losing in a penalty shoot out.
Beckham’s momentary loss of control cost England its chance to win the most important
game of the year.
Being able to maintain control is one of the most important tools an elite athlete can
possess and it is one of the secrets to mental toughness. It is a secret because most athletes
think the opponent is on the other team…
The truth is the real opponent is you vs. you and your mind. Any loss of control can
disrupt not only your performance, but your entire teams as well, as we saw in the Beckham
incident. The great news is that you can be in control anytime you want if you commit
to some simple mental practices with the same determination, you use to develop your physical
skills.
Soccer and really any sport, is an emotional game and players must go into a game prepared
for cheap shots and trash talking. Sometimes, it may not even be just your opponents that
trigger a loss of self-control. Coaches, teammates and even your own thinking can be just as
destructive, if not more.
One mental toughness secret to being in control is to have a plan in your head for what you
will do when the inevitable trash talking or foul happens. Before you ever step on the
field, you must mentally practice how you want any situation to play out that leads
you to getting your best results.
To do this, think about times in the past when you have lost control and examine why
it happened. It does not matter if it happened in practice, scrimmaging or in a game.
As you think about those times, ask yourself what really caused you to lose control?
When you figure that out, then question yourself about your reaction…
Was it worth it? What did I gain from that? Did I really have to lose it like that? Could
I have done something different? Could I have ignored it?
Now here is the important question, “How could I handle myself differently the next
time something like this happens?”
Your plan will start to formulate and I recommend you actually write it down or journal your
findings and commit yourself to this new way of handling yourself.
You’ve got to make this a high priority just like you do with your training and conditioning.
Remind yourself of the benefits, not only to yourself, but your teammates in developing
this mental toughness secret.
Having self-control means not letting your emotions sidetrack you in competition. It
is hard to fight your emotions in the heat of the battle. You will most-likely have the
ability to keep your wits, if you follow the plan you developed and practiced in your mind.
There are athletes that are victims of their thoughts and emotions and then there are the
elite athletes who master them. Which side will you be on?
After the big loss to Argentina, Beckham was trashed in the British papers. Soccer fans
throughout the country were throwing darts at his picture and he faced boos everywhere
he went the next season.
As you know, he exhibited extreme mental toughness by coming back strong and becoming one of
the most popular players in the sport. The other mental toughness secret is to NEVER
give up…on yourself!
Resource box ********************
Craig Sigl is the #1 Mental Toughness Trainer for youth sports. Visit: TeenMentalToughness.com
to get your free video training and .mp3 on how to “Master The Pressure” in competition.
Also receive a free ebook: “The 10 commandments for great sports parents.”
(Replace TeenMentalToughness.com with any URL landing page. Every landing page has the
optin to get those free downloads.)