Youth Soccer: The Mental Game
An emerging specialization of mine is applied sports psychology, with an emphasis on youth soccer. This focus has been inspired by experiences working with high level student-athletes, reading books, and engaging in discussions and supervision with experts in the field.
While I hold an E License, my soccer skillset is best applied to the mental game. I may talk “technical and tactical” but I’m much better at engaging athletes in their own psychology, with an emphasis on increasing self-awareness and incorporating feedback. In doing so, my goal is to help each player, regardless of their technical skill level, reach their full soccer (and life) potential.
This work may include:
- Visualization and imagery exercises to maximize confidence and game-day mindset
- Anxiety reduction interventions
- Developing a consistent and winning game-day routine
- Injury recovery: Developing an optimal attitude toward returning to play
- Identifying and addressing helpful vs harmful ways of viewing self, teammates, and opponents
- Knowing your on and off the field personality: Healthy mindset shifting
- Addressing Team Dynamics: Group cohesion, goal setting, team-building
- Working with Coaches on team culture, leadership, feedback strategies and addressing issues
I am currently being supervised in this area by Txolo Aguinaga, a Sports Psychologist in Bilbao, Spain. Mr. Aguinaga provides sports psychology services for a professional, high-level club in the Basque country.