Synthesis Paper

Name : Abhishek Kumar Marwaha

The Psychology Of Winning In Soccer
For sportsmen and women who want to be champions , the mind
can be as important , if not more important , than any other part of the body Gary
Neville. The quote above truly enraptures what my research is about. The psychology of
winning a soccer game does not rest only on the physical aspect of the game but has a lot
to do with the mental aspect as well. History has provided us with many examples
where , at the most crucial of times , the difference between winning and loosing a soccer
game has come down to just one simple factor, whether teams can collectively keep
themselves psychologically strong or not. In sport terms such as training , rigorous
hard work and stamina are often related to the factors which may help teams get a
slight advantage over their opponents but where the battle is really won is in the mind.
There are several factors when it comes down to winning a soccer game , my essay will
focus on how teams , and individual players train their minds to win a physically
dominated sport. I will be talking about three articles that I have done extensive research
on .The first being on mental toughness , the second being on performance psychology ,
and the third being on willpower and mental resilience. Each of these three factors are
immensely important when it comes down to winning a soccer game. The three factors
above are interrelated as I will logically explain in the later part of this paper..

Mental toughness is a term that can be defined specifically and vaguely

but today ,sport psychologists have pinned down this term to the most simplest of

meanings. .According the book The New Toughness Training for sports(2013) (page 42)
by Dr .Loehr of the Human Performance Institute, defined mental toughness as "the
ability to consistently perform towards the upper range of your talent and skill regardless
of competitive circumstances." This is a bit different from what we commonly term
mental toughness as(page 101). Many people confuse willpower and mental toughness
even though there is a clear distinction between the two. Mental toughness is a much
larger concept than willpower (page 200) which I will discuss when I delve into my third
article. Performing at the best of your abilities no matter the circumstance is mental
toughness To demonstrate this term in a better way ,I will use an example .The recent
world cup which took place in Brazil will help me explain my case better. The mighty
lions of England were playing the mighty minnows of Costa Rica and much to everyones
surprise Cost Rica came out victorious. The real question here was of how a team who
had not managed to qualify for the world cup in so many years managed to turn the tables
on an experienced England side. The England squad did not exhibit the quality of mental
toughness and this led to their demise at the world cup .After reading this book by Dr
.Jim Loehr I have concluded that in soccer mental toughness is to prepare or every game
equally whether it be an easy one or a hard one.

Is mental toughness all that a player needs to perform at the peak of his
or her ability? False .According to the information I have gathered and understood from
what was published in an article named Road to Resilience by Kumar
.S(2005) ,.Mental Resilience is a popular term in sport psychology. It is not to be
confused with mental toughness. Mental Resilience individual's ability to properly adapt

to stress and adversity(page 41). During a soccer game there are many pressurizing
situations and players need to work on their mental resilience to come out on top in those
situations. Often we see players make the crucial through ball or the crucial pass from out
of nowhere and suddenly there seems to be a game on our hands. This ability of
performing with a calm head and technical approach in a difficult situation is known as
mental resilience(page 5) . It is not to be confused with mental toughness. These both are
different as mental toughness refers more to the preparation aspect just before the game.
Mental resilience is the act of performing in a tough situation which only happens once
players get on the pitch . For example , in the 1999 UEFA champions league cup final
,Manchester United were playing Bayern Munich in Germany. United were losing by a
goal ,and up came the final three minutes of play. Some would say Bayern Munich could
almost taste the triumph of winning the trophy but as history runs it course , we now
know that match as the match Bayern Munich lost in the last three minutes as United
went and shocked the world by scoring two goals in extra time. Manchester United as a
team showed mental toughness to not give up till the dying embers of the game and
mental resilience to score those two goals in two minutes which would otherwise seem
impossible.

As we know sport is a ground where victory and defeat are two twins
who always show up together. If one team wins the other looses and as Billie Jean King
said , Champions keep playing until they get it right .The quote above epitomizes was
sport is all about. The hunger to win always keeps champions going and above all that is
the most important part of winning in soccer , the willpower and motivation to succeed.

We all know that the best teams loose as well , but the great teams have the motivation
and willpower to comeback from setbacks and to perform to the best of their ability , this
perhaps is the most important aspect .In the book Soccer secrets to success(1994) by
Ruiz.L basically reiterates this idea over and over again. The author states that there is
more courage and mental stamina required to overcome set backs rather than just loosing
willpower over it(page98). The book gives many examples(page 67 ,180 and 231) of how
teams have come back against the odds and won games just by making sure their will
power and belief system was strong.

When the three attributes of mental toughness, resilience along with

willpower and motivation go together , there is no doubt that a team will eventually win
in soccer. The three articles describe how each component is important and how the three
are interlinked. Great teams have had great victories because of great players but what
truly deserved acclaim were their great minds and great psychology. The psychology of
winning .

Citations :
1)Loer J. (2013). The New Toughness Training for sports. Retrieved from
http://digital.library.upenn.edu/sports /newtoughnesstraining.html

2) Srinivas Kumar (2005).Road to Resilience . Retrieved from

http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/roadresilience.aspx

3)Ruiz, L. (1994). Secrets of soccer success : Things Great Players and Coaches Should
Know. Retrieved from
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/378339.The_New_Toughness_Training_for_Sport
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