There are many differences between the top players and the rest. One huge difference is confidence levels. Even when your abilities might be the same as the top players, when your confidence levels are low, you won’t stand out. There are many studies trying to find out how to best get your mental game and confidence level up. Research has shown that Motivational General Mastery is the best tool for soccer players to increase their confidence.
Imagery is a big part of psychological sports research that is gained interest and attention. Imagery is the process of using your senses to create pictures/images of your actions or performances in one’s own mind. There are several ways to use imagery techniques in sports. These are the most popular;
Imagery Techniques
- Cognitive specific: Using your senses to increase the potential of very specific skills, this can be free kicks or penalty kicks.
- Cognitive general: Focuses on the general strategy of the game. This could be setting an off-side trap or a counter-attack.
- Motivational-specific: Seeing yourself win a specific event like a world cup or a champions league final.
- Motivational general-arousal: Imagery that reflects feelings that you want to achieve. This could be relaxation or being psych up for a defender playing against Christiano Ronaldo.
- Motivational general-mastery: Seeing yourself coping in difficult circumstances
Which One Is The Best
Of all the different imagery techniques, one seems to stand out for soccer. Motivational General Mastery is often found to be the most helpful. One reason for this could be the great amount of freedom you are given as a soccer player. Compared to other team sports, soccer players have a great amount of freedom to prove themselves. In rugby, American football and basketball, players regularly play from a strict formation. While in soccer, letting players while in ball possession, reign free, has been proven very successful. This freedom, however, comes with a price. freedom without confidence is difficult, you have to take a risk and things might not have a positive outcome. To bounce back after a failed attempt takes energy and confidence. To increase your confidence try Motivational General Mastery.
What Is Motivational General Mastery
Motivational General Mastery is thinking a few steps ahead and preparing for events to come. The best way to prepare for a perceived negative event is to create them while you are in a relaxed state. By visualizing yourself overcoming events like losing a world cup, missing a penalty or being rejected by a professional soccer club after a trial, you are preparing yourself achieving your long term goal.
Learn From The Best
One man is seen as one of the main characters being the Motivational General Mastery practices. This man was Albert Bandura. Bandura is the man behind “social learning theory” and focuses on “self-efficacy”. Self-efficacy is a belief in one’s own capabilities to organize and execute the courses of action required to manage prospective situations. One of Bandura’s ideas is that action is needed together with responsibility. Who is responsible for your defeat or loss? Only when you recognize that you are responsible for a loss or defeat, you can take actions and build confidence to overcome. As Bandura said;
“Where everyone is responsible, no one is really responsible.”
Bandura
By seeing yourself overcome difficulties gives you confidence by knowing everything will be fine after the event and will lower your stress hormones by taking away the fear of failing.
“People’s beliefs about their abilities have a profound effect on those abilities.”
Bandura
Why Do Imagery
To have a successful outcome via imagery, you have to invest time and effort. One scientist noted in a 2012 study;
All athletes have the ability to generate and use imagery but not to the same extent
There are many reasons for giving the imagery procedure a try. Although it’s just an association link, studies found;
- Athletes with better performing imagery skills perform better at their sport than lower-performing imagery.
- Athletes with better performing imagery skills have more confidence than athletes with lesser performing imagery.
- Players with higher imagery skills, use their skills more often than those with fewer capabilities.
One study found that more practice doesn’t always mean better results. You as the individual should experiment. As everybody is different, try to find your own way.
Motivational general mastery is defined as
“imagery that represents effective coping and mastery of challenging situations, such as being mentally tough, confident, and focused during sport competition”
Motivational General Mastery, The Basics
Although every mastery session usually lasts between 1 and 10 minutes, there are no restrictions and or limitations. The actual session goes like this;
- Start by being relaxed and focused.
- Think about the worst thing that can happen in your soccer career
- Use your imagination to see yourself after your soccer tragedy
- See yourself coping and thriving after the event happens
- After you see yourself coping and thriving, its time to find another tragedy
What Did The Experts Find
Going through the scientific literature, a pretty convincing argument can be made for Motivational General Mastery. A short list of quotes are shown below;
Back To soccersync.com