New Season, New Challenges? 2 Mental Resilience Tools Every Player Needs

What is one thing pro, college and youth players have in common? They all experience change!

Whether you have new teammates, a new coach or are playing a new position - every player will be going through transitions with a new season.

Why Change Can Feel So Hard

When our “thinking brain” has the steering wheel, we understand that change provides great opportunities for individual and team growth.

However, when our “emotional brain” takes over, it’s very good at convincing us that change is dangerous and something to avoid.

That’s why we can have heightened performance anxiety and lowered confidence when trying to adapt to changes in a new season.  

Great news: You Can Train Your Brain

We’ve got two simple tools to help your mind be more focused on the opportunity to grow and have fun in a new season - and less focused on what could go poorly.

Tool #1: Focus on What’s Familiar

Write down on a piece of paper five things about your new season that are the same or very similar to your last season.

This could include:

• Same teammate(s) from last season

• Field size

• Location of game(s)

• Same uniform number

• Rules of the game

• Tournaments

• Travel

Focusing on what is similar to last season makes our new season more predictable - which lowers stress.    

Tool #2: Remember Your Why

Write down three reasons why you want to play this new season

Examples could be:

• I love to compete

• I want to be part of a team

• I want to challenge myself

This activity steers your mind to focus on the value and benefit of the new season - increasing your motivation to go toward the challenges instead of avoiding them. 

Final Reminder:

Remember, if we don’t tell our mind where to go, it will default to overly focusing on negative outcomes - especially when there are changes. So use these two tools everyday to rewire your brain to embrace the challenges of a new season and thrive!

“The only constant in life is change” - Heraclitus

Want more simple tools like this to build your mental game?

Our online Soccer Resilience courses will teach you how to train your mind just like you train your body — so you can play with more confidence, handle pressure, and perform your best no matter what changes come your way.

👉 Check out our Player Foundations Courses today at SoccerResilience.com and start building the skills that seperate good players from great ones

Train your mind like you train your body.

Mental Health Tip for April 🌱

Did you know that our brains are hardwired to view uncertainty as a threat? Why?

In ancient times, jumping to the worst-case scenario helped humans avoid danger (like saber-tooth tigers 🐅). 

This is why we’re more vulnerable to view change as dangerous, because change often brings uncertainty.

The next time you are facing a change, tell yourself:

1. “There are no saber tooth tigers. I’m safe.”

2. Write down three potential benefits of this change.

This simple shift will help take your brain from threat mode to challenge mode.

 Keep Training your Mind

Change is a part of every season — and every player’s journey.

The difference between good and great players?
They train their minds to thrive in it.

Explore more tools, strategies, and courses at SoccerResilience.com