How to Not Let the Other Team Get in Your Head

Soccer can be frustrating. The other team isn’t just trying to run faster than you, or keep the ball away from you. They’re trying to confuse you, frustrate you, and bully you so you’re less likely to take risks, and you have no idea what they’re going to do next.

To make matters worse, the other team can see how frustrated you are. They might even hurl some trash talk your way to rile you up even further.

When you’re in such a heightened emotional state, it’s easy to lose focus. How can you stay composed and not let the other team get in your head? By remembering that it’s the game of soccer that’s causing your frustration, not the other team.

A Frustrating Soccer Team is a Good Soccer Team

A good soccer team causes their opponents to make mistakes by putting them in unfamiliar and uncertain situations. The idea is to present a strategy, a style, or just a level of ability the other team has never dealt with before.

Instead of playing soccer in a way the other team is accustomed to, you make them play your way.

So, if the other team is making you frustrated, congratulations: You are officially in the company of high-level competition. As your soccer journey progresses, you are going to encounter increasingly talented - and increasingly frustrating - teams.

Every puzzle can be solved, and we’ll explain how in just a bit. But the first step is accepting that feeling frustrated and bewildered is a natural, inevitable part of high-level soccer, not a sign that you don’t belong on the field.

Trash Talking is a Gesture of Respect

At first, trash talking seems like an insult. But it’s really a gesture of respect. Why would someone make such a conscious effort to throw you off your game? The other team certainly wouldn’t do this if they didn’t view you as a legitimate threat.

When someone is directing trash talk at you, it’s probably because they think you’re a good player and they’re trying to diminish a major obstacle to their success. The heavier the trash talk, the more your opponent respects you and wants you out of the way. Sounds like a compliment to us.

How to Adapt to a Frustrating Team

Okay, back to solving that puzzle. Though you’ve never met a challenge like this team before, it doesn’t mean the challenge can’t be overcome. Once you accept that feeling frustrated is a natural part of high-level soccer, your anger will fade, and you can focus on the task at hand: Observing exactly what your opponent is doing that’s giving your team so much trouble.

When you isolate the specific obstacles in front of you - instead of thinking, “They’re just better than us” - you can adapt and implement an appropriate solution. But the solution will only present itself when the problem is out in the open, and everyone is on the same page.

At Beyond Goals Mentoring, we understand that staying focused when adversity strikes is not easy. But it’s one of the most important skills an athlete can possess. That’s why we’re dedicated to helping young athletes build elite mindsets capable of adapting to new challenges on the spot. The sooner your athlete learns to regulate their emotions and maintain their composure after a setback, the more prepared they’ll be for a long and successful career.

So, if your athlete is struggling with a recent setback or could use some help with the mental component of soccer, let’s set up a mentoring session today.