What I Hated As A Pro... and How It Can Help You

Being a pro athlete is psychological warfare. 

Heck, all of life is.

You know what I hated as a pro?

Pennies! Or bibs, as some call it. 😁

You never wanted to get a bib. Especially on Thursday or Friday. 

Pennies meant death. Pennies meant not starting. Pennies meant frustration… anger… disappointment… self-doubt… the potential to find yourself out of a job soon. 

That’s what they meant to me. 

But truthfully, pennies are what you say they are. They can be your demise and a nightmare, or they can be your fuel and another chance to kick the ‘starters’ tails.

Throughout my career, I wasn’t aware that I had so much control in how I saw them.

I also wasn’t aware that to focus on whether you got a penny or not… to focus and gauge your success by starts and games played is a sure-fire way to underperform and let your emotions rule you.

Do you control whether coach starts you?

No. You don’t. You influence it. But ultimately, the coach is the one who decides. And you and I shouldn’t give the coach so much control over how we view ourselves and what we believe about ourselves. It’s one man or woman’s opinion. One they’re entitled to.

Does not starting suck? Yes! 💯

We want you to have that attitude. That means you care. That means you’re competitive. Honor the emotion, just don’t live in it. That’s resilience.

1. First, are you aware that you can control your responses?
2. Secondly, do you have the tools to help you do that?
3. Thirdly, how long does it take you to bounce back?

This is how we can help you at Soccer Resilience®. We help you think better about your game. Your responses. We help you focus on the right things. All while equipping you with the tools to do those things. Practical, tangible tools to combat whatever the beautiful game throws at you.

Whatever life throws at you.

It’s a game changer. It’s a differentiator. And it can be a life saver!

Let's make resilience your greatest asset. Give us a shout at Soccer Resilience and let's transform your game, and maybe even your life.

Wells Thompson
Former Pro & Soccer Resilience Founder