Techniques to Improve Your Confidence
Italian footballer Andrea Pirlo once said, "Football is played with the head, your feet are just the
tools."
Football is a mental game.
Before you step onto the pitch, make a pass, take a shot, or dribble, your actions are decided in a split second. When you think of brilliant footballing minds, you think of Messi for his breathtaking decision-making and brilliance. You think of Neymar for his incredible dribbling and flair. And you think of Cristiano Ronaldo for his unmatched work ethic. Even though these are top professionals and some of the best players in the world, each has dealt with confidence issues more than once in their career. It may not be included in the headlines or the game highlights, but rest assured, it's happened. There are numerous techniques players use to boost their confidence. These are three that I use to give myself confidence on and off the pitch.
Technique #1:
Quotes are a way of reminding yourself of the player you are and the player you want to be. It’s vital to memorize some quotes that impact and stick with you as a footballer. I’ll share one that stuck with me when I first heard it.
I’m very close to my parents. Being an only child, it brings my family together to watch movies and tv shows, laugh with each other and take some time away to relax. One of the shows we watch (even in different cities) is Ted Lasso. I highly recommend it to any footballer. It deals with various mature themes and touches on incredible messages and inspiring subjects. In one of the first-season episodes, Ted tells one of his players, “The happiest animal in the world is a goldfish. It has a ten-second memory. Be a goldfish.” I believe in this quote for football and in life. It’s unrealistic in football and life to never make a mistake. They’re going to occur along the way. That’s just life, and that’s just football. Mistakes are inevitable in a match, a misplaced pass, a shot that goes ten feet over the crossbar or an error that leads to an opponent’s goal. In the locker room ahead of every game in my university career, I take a sharpie from my bag and draw a small goldfish on the front of my quad. Anytime during a match that I would make a mistake, I would touch it with my hand. This always reminds me, “Be a goldfish,” have a ten-second memory, and move on.
Find a quote that sticks with you, it could be from anything, but it must impact you, reflect on it the next time you need a confidence boost.
Technique #2:
Think of 3 things that you’ve accomplished in your footballing journey so far that are important to you. Let this remind you of what an exceptional footballer you are, at whatever stage you're in. I’ll share one of my accomplishments that gives me confidence, taught by a long-time football mentor. It's a method that works particularly well for me.
In October 2021, I participated in the FTF Canada Calgary Combine where I performed well, scoring three goals and two assists in four games. I was offered a trial at St. Thomas University for their men’s soccer team in Fredericton, New Brunswick. I flew to New Brunswick with my mom in February 2022. Eventually, I signed with St. Thomas and committed to studying journalism. What gives me confidence from this is that the coach of St. Thomas asked ME to go on trial with them. Hundreds of players participated in the FTF combine, but the head coach of St. Thomas saw something he liked, so he reached out to ME and pursued his interest in ME. When I’m feeling down after a match or need a before a game, this gives me a confidence boost. It’s a reminder of what I’ve accomplished and reminds me of what I’m capable of. Think of a significant accomplishment next time you’re struggling for confidence; use it to motivate yourself and give that extra confidence over your opponent and even your teammates.
Technique #3:
Another technique that many professional footballers use, talking to someone they care for or who cares about them before every match, or even training. I was a victim of it when I was younger, but I see too many young footballers take for granted the time they have with their parents or the people who care about them. If you’re struggling for confidence before your next training session or match, talk to someone you care about; it could be a best friend, boyfriend/girlfriend, or a loved one.
As I mentioned previously, I’m very close with my parents. After living with my parents for 17 years, the move to New Brunswick from Calgary was challenging for many reasons. Before each game at university, as every team does, we would go over the starting lineup, go over tactics, go over things we need to improve on, then we have about 20-25 minutes to ourselves. I would use this time to call both my parents throughout our three-month season. I found this particular technique crucial to my game. Just by calling my parents, I would feel much more relaxed and confident. Both would remind me of the player I am and how I can perform to my best on the pitch.
I firmly believe in the saying, 'You don’t know what you have until it’s gone.' I didn’t realize how impactful a conversation with my parents would be before I moved across the country away from them. Next time you struggle for confidence before a match, or a training session, talking to someone you care about may decrease your stress level and give you more confidence knowing that someone has your back and believes in you, no matter the result of the game or how the training session goes.
Every footballer will go through dips of confidence in their career. Every footballer has techniques to improve their confidence. It's taken me 18 years to figure out three beneficial techniques to boost my confidence, and I'm always learning. Once you find something that gives you confidence, anything that may give you that slight edge, stick with it the next time you’re going through a confidence struggle.
Alec Wells