This weekend, I had a pretty big game. We played a team that is leading our league, and when we’ve played them in the past, the games have been brutally physical. I really wasn’t looking forward to playing in this game. Despite having played this game for probably 20 years now, I still get nervous before big games. That’s why I’m writing this blog post.
It’s ok to be nervous!
Going into a big game, most players are nervous. I’d go so far as to say that if you’re not nervous, you have a problem. If you’re not nervous, you probably don’t care enough about the outcome of the game to be nervous about it.
The problem with being nervous before a soccer game comes when it starts to affect your performance. When you get so nervous that you don’t play as well as you usually do, then you need to take some steps to calm yourself down. Here are three steps that I take when I’m nervous about a game to help keep myself calm and ready to play.
Remember that it’s only a game.
I take this game seriously. When I go into a game, I go to give everything that I have. I don’t like quitting or giving up, and I get frustrated when people I play with don’t act like they’re there to give 100%. All that being said, you have to remember – It’s only a game! Win or lose, when the final whistle sounds, you go back to your life. Your world does not end if you don’t do well in a soccer game.
Run yourself through the worst case scenario – barring an injury, what happens if you lose this game 10-0? Nothing. You may not win a championship or finish as high in the standings as you would have. Your pride may be hurt, but you’ll be otherwise unharmed. Worst case, if EVERYTHING goes wrong, you’ll have a lot of stuff to learn from and get better at before your next game. However, DO NOT use this as an excuse to give less than 100%. This leads us to step 2.
Prepare yourself mentally to give 100%
In any game that you play in, you can only give 100%. You can’t do more than that. Don’t carry the world on your shoulders and make yourself more nervous thinking that the entire game rests on you. Your team has 10 other players on the field as well, and you can’t play for them. They have just as much impact on the outcome of the game as you do.
That being said, prepare yourself mentally to give 100%. Instead of walking out on the soccer field with a win at any cost mentality, walk out on the field with the mentality that you are going to give everything that you have. Lots of players confuse the two. Here’s the difference. One of these things is something you can affect, and one is something that you can’t. You can’t always change whether your team wins or loses. That is outside your control. What you can affect is your level of effort in the game. You can affect how hard you try and if you quit when you get tired. Be ready to push yourself hard for the full 90 minutes. If you do this, then you have done everything you can do to contribute to your team.
Have fun!
I know this is easier said than done, especially in high pressure situations. However, you need to remember that we all play this game because we love it. We play soccer because it’s fun. I’ve got to tell you, my absolute favorite thing to do in the whole world is to go out and play with a soccer ball. I love soccer training, I love watching the game, and I love playing the game. Don’t walk onto the field thinking about how bad it would be to lose. Instead, walk out on the field with a smile on your face, because you get to play soccer today, and that’s one of the best things that you could be doing with your time.
What are some things that you do to calm down before big games?
If you’re looking for some more soccer motivation, check out our soccer motivator section
Make sure to check out the training guides in our soccer training guides section. There are some great resources in there to help you get started, including a couple free soccer training guides.
Our free soccer drills section has some great individual soccer drills if you’re looking for some drills to help you work on your soccer skills.
