Mental preparedness is a continuous topic that many people speak about these days. Although a soccer player needs to train to improve his or her skills, also, diet and mental training might be more important than the actual talent itself. Most youth athletes dream to be professional players, but they lack the knowledge of what it truly takes to make it to the big stage.

To have mental toughness in soccer takes both teaching and self-learning. You can be told, but if you don’t try, believe, or want to learn, it will be hard to have mental toughness in soccer. It’s a game of mistakes, and you have to learn to deal with them and overcome tough times. Unfortunately, soccer is a game that takes a lot of practice, travel, and mental preparation. Many players are successful at a young age, but they fall off because they don’t have mental toughness.

While you see some of your favorite soccer players performing to the high standards on TV, they would not be able to do this if they did not start their day off with mental preparedness. Here are 3 tips from the ENDALGO team. Try them out and begin moving forward to being mentally prepared and strong.

Start your day off with fresh air

When you wake up every morning before you start your day. Go outside and grab some fresh air, sit down, breathe, and visualize yourself. Visualize what you will do that day to make your one step closer to improving yourself.

Mental motivation

As simple as those two words sound, it’s easily one of the most important aspects of being mentally strong. With all of the distractions out there these days (more now than ever), it’s difficult to stay mentally motivated. Still, there are also some “good distractions” that can benefit your mental preparation. Watching a video on your favorite player, coach, or team. I personally enjoy watching soccer documentaries because, believe it or not, at some point, you will either be touched or can relate to something that was mentioned in the story. At 29 years old, I continue to watch videos to stay mentally motivated as I am still competing.

Staying at home isn’t a bad thing

While being at home isn’t ideal for most athletes, you use that time to continue pushing yourself forward. Sitting at home can keep your mind continuously thinking about soccer, and you will be able to paint your own picture in your head. By visualizing all game circumstances in your head, not only will you be more motivated to test out what you were visualizing, but you will begin to get more creative and explore what you can create within your mind. Everything begins with your mindset. After you are mentally strong, you will then explore and execute more in person.