Zuriel Lozano
Goalkeeper: 3 tips to play well under pressure
If you train in perfect conditions, you WILL fail in times of pressure !
Are you a goalkeeper who struggles under pressure?
this could be at important games or even tryouts. The definition of pressure is: butterflies, fear of making mistakes, nervousness, pre-game jitters, pressure from parents, worrying about winning or losing or even negative thoughts. Any of these feelings could complicate your performance if is out of control.
Goalkeepers who are lucky enough to play for good teams and great defenders in front of them, their stress level will not be the same as a goalkeeper who gets “BOMBARDED” during every game. The best way to ensure you are at a good place mentally is by preparing for the very worst case scenario but this starts in training.
Powerful tips to help you play well under pressure:
Tip 1: Training or practicing under pressure will help you stay FOCUSED during intense games but it will teach you how to deal with any chaotic situation effectively. Most goalkeepers train under very normal situation which could be very deceiving for goalkeepers during a game.
Tip 2: In the military, soldiers are taught that being nervous is a good thing because it will help you stay alert. It is ok to be nervous as long as it does not get out of control. Learn how to stay RELAXED. Breathing techniques or even repeating certain words such as “stay focused” etc will help you stay calmed and relaxed. Do something that WORKS for you!!
Tip 3: Concentrate in the present. Stay away from thinking about the results, scores or final outcomes. Concentrate on what happens right NOW. You MUST learn to forget everything that happened just few minutes ago and move to the PRESENT.
These are very simple techniques that have been proven to work. We hope you can use these techniques and TAILORED them to your NEEDS.
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