Football Balls

How do I get tougher playing football?

Well this question really could be asked about any sport not just football. Each sport has different skill requirements whether it is the general fitness, power, strength, flexibility or in fact a combination of all of these.

Before starting any new exercise regime it is advisable to discuss it with your GP if you have not exercised in some time, also take some advice from your coaches what are the best things for you to be working on. Do not presume you need to go and start body building to make yourself bigger, as it may be they need you to be more flexible or to increase your stamina. So you need to make sure you are taking on the extra training that is required for the sport you are doing to help you improve.

Do you need to be tougher to become a better player? How do you even get tougher? These are tricky questions to answer without knowing the person and the sport. But one thing is for sure that getting tougher mentally is just as important as getting tougher physically. A lot of people think it is all about hitting the gym and the fitter and more muscular the tougher you will be. This is not always the case and the mental side of the game is often overlooked. Now if you are lucky enough to be selected to train with a professional team you will have sports psychologists and strength and conditioning coaches to work with you to help on all aspects of the game. However if you are just starting out in the game or playing for your local club side you do not have all these people around to help. So what can you do on your own?

To help with the mental side of your game you could pay for some private sessions with a Sports Psychologist, there are plenty around and it is simple to search online for people in your local area that offer this service. This however can be an expensive route to take so another option to possibly try first would be to look at some of the self help books that are currently available, you can use these to learn about how the mind works and tricks to help build your confidence, and one example of these books is called The Chimp Paradox written by Professor Steve Peters. Books like this one can help you to learn some of the simple tricks to adjust your mind set to have that belief in yourself and help you to gain the confidence that you can do whatever you set your mind to and achieve it to the highest level. Having self belief is so important and often underestimated when trying to make it at a high level whether that is in sport, school or work. It is also important to speak with your coaches if you have any concerns at all, whether it is in the tactics or in your own development as a player. They will be able to help guide and encourage you with your training, match play and overall development as a player.
With the physical side it is a slightly different story and one you will need to work hard at. It is also important to remember that you do not have to spend a fortune signing up to a gym to get the extra physical training. It costs you nothing to go for a run apart from a good pair of trainers, mix the running up by stopping off and doing some push ups, star jumps, burpees and sit ups along the route. If your route takes you past a set of monkey bars this is also a good way to help increase your strength, practice doing pull ups or just simply making your way across the bars. Also do not forget other activities like swimming which is also good, this uses muscles that you perhaps do not always work on and it is low/no impact so it enables your joints to still be working out without the additional stress on them. If you need to improve your flexibility then Pilates will be the ideal exercise for you, helping with balance, core strength and suppleness. Pilates also involves little or no impact on the joints so it can be a nice relaxing way to stretch out the muscles.

You can practise your football skills in the garden or in the park with friends or even just against a wall. Do some passing drills, ball control, use some marker cones to lay out a small area where you and a friend can try dribbling the ball and defending it from the other player. Simply working on controlling the ball and accurate passing will help your overall game no end.

Before you know it you will have improved the whole aspect of your game including your mental and physical toughness. The trick is do not just stop there, do not think, right I have got myself fit and read a book I am now ready to go, the truth is you can always improve and strive to be that little bit better, fitter, faster, stronger. If you want to succeed at anything it takes time, determination and perseverance and the ability to keep on trying no matter what setbacks you come across.

There is no instant quick fix, and there may always be players that are deemed to be better than you, but if you work hard and keep trying you will succeed to the highest level you can as a player.