The most important tool your body has to offer is your mind.
You need your brain to tell everything else what to do and how to do it. Your skill and coordination depend on it. It needs glycogen, oxygen, and nutrients but it also needs exercise. You apply your mind when doing things like working out, training, and playing in a match.
Goals and visualization. Mental goals are important. Set goals for yourself. Write them down and make them clear. Every day, when you get up in the morning, think about your goals and what you’re going to do today to take one step closer to achieving them. Picture what you want to accomplish down to the last detail. Whether it’s getting the ball past a goalkeeper or running for 40 minutes straight, visualizing your goals in your mind will help you get there in reality.
Meditation. Concentrate on breathing in, taking deep breaths from your diaphragm, and then exhale slowly. Choose a quiet place to sit and close your eyes. You might want some relaxing music on in the background. Sit with your back straight. Allow any thoughts to enter and exit your mind and maintain focus on your breathing to reach a relaxed state.
Focus during a game. Focus on your play and not what might be going on around you. Maintain concentration on your goals. Don’t get angry at the referee or another teammate—if you do, let it pass quickly and set your sights on the game. Maintain your focus on winning the ball or making the next pass or scoring a goal.
Positive thinking. Don’t focus on the negative. Always strive to play your very best but realize that everyone has bad days or makes errors. As long as you keep moving forward, being positive, and working hard, you will have success more of the time.