The Importance of Mindset for Young Players

A happy and healthy new year to you all. 

My ambition this year is to write one article a week covering youth development and coaching. I am conscious and slightly frustrated that I have not found the time to dedicate to writing in the past 12 months. I have dedicated my time to my work and family. However it is not so much for me to share my thoughts with you as a reader, as it is more for me to clarify ideas and reflections and use these to improve my understanding and structure my thinking my effectively. That is in essence what this blog has been about.  

So I thought that for my first article of 2022 I would address what I believe is the most important element of successful player development, the importance of the psychological/social ‘corner’. The importance of the mind. Why this is what underpins performance, development and progression in all other areas. 

 

Enhancing the transition from foundation to youth development

When players are in the foundation phase – between 7-11 years of age, they are developing and refining their skills, learning, making mistakes and being asked to be brave, take risks and make mistakes along the way. I believe we are nurturing some fantastic talent, creating great environments for players to develop and be creative in. The Youth Module awards have helped youth coaches improve their knowledge of the environment, over just knowing different sessions. Coaches are smarter and more knowledgeable about what young players need. And the players are benefitting greatly. I still believe we need more 1v1 masters, players with fantastic skills and creativity, as well as the intelligence to understand, create and evade on the pitch. 

So, when these players come out of the Foundation Phase, what changes? Unfortunately there are a multitude of factors which are preventing, in my opinion, the development of these talented young players, into elite level individuals by the age of 16-18. 

 

Let us first discuss the change which happens in Academy football, the move from the ‘Foundation’ to the ‘Youth Development’ phase. As the title suggests the foundation stage is to build a strong foundation for young players, which centres around the development of technical skill and physical literacy. Tactical elements at this age are seen for some as important and others not as much, however with the use of small sided games it is believed that there will be tactical elements involved throughout. I do believe that more tactical coaching from 2v2 – 7v7 could be introduced for players to understand and appreciate space, movement and support in relation to the ball. However it is fair to argue that at this level the players receive a very good foundational education. 

 

So for me as a Youth Devlopment Phase Lead, overseeing players in the 13-16’s groups, helping to develop players for scholarships, what are the common issues I see and have experienced. And importantly what is needed to improve. 

 

As the players moves into the 12-16 phase there is a sudden and at times dramatic movement away from what was been worked on between 8-11. The freedom to express, the chance to practice skills and that emphasis on the ‘individual’ changes, it now becomes about the ‘team’ and a players role within it, "clearing your lines" over "be brave". Improving their understanding of the game, yes all for that. But to begin to limit players? No. This simply can’t be allowed. 

 

While they need to understand the game and what different roles require, the sense that what was worked on in the foundation years is somehow seen as 'wrong' in this phase is the concerning element. Surely the experience in the phases should be linear and not parallel? This is where the phases need to work together and not separate. There can't be a divide between staff and philosophy. 

  

Environment and personality

If we look at the environment in a coaching sense, let’s look at what is perhaps even more important. The greats of the game have always shown confidence and belief in their ability and were able to showcase this in games. 

 

Unfortunately there is a sense that many young players lack this confidence and belief in their talent, sometimes a coach or parent can put pressure and be over critical of a player. What we need is to nurture players mindset and personality, not destroy it. Because the truth is there are too many players in Academy football who simply don’t have the personality and character required for elite level football. Which is why for me there aren't enough players making the step into professional football and thriving. Why is this? 

 

Recruitment of players plays a role here for sure. The hope is that players developed in the foundation phase move into their new phase and possess the skills needed to progress further. However, it is common to see players recruited at 12-15 often become scholars, leaving the lads who have been in since 9 and 10 behind. Why is this? Often it’s because a scout can see the potential much clearer in both physicality and mentality as a player enters adolescence. 

 

For all the technical skills some players possess, there are many who simply lack the mindset to be great. I believe that this is a societal issue. There is no doubt to me that young players between 8-11, who are still in primary school, have a greater belief and enjoyment in what they do. We can call it a child-like exuberance and envy young kids for their innocent approach to the world. 

 

In football terms many players at this age play with the freedom and expression because they are not limited by self-doubt or social pressure. It all seems to change when kids go to secondary school.  Between the years of 12-16 these free spirited kids who were confident to express themselves without fear of failure, being ridicule or lambasted, often become victims to limiting elements which takes the freedom and confidence to try things and makes them 'average'.

 

Maturation effects can play a big role. Aspects such as growth spurts can lead to growing pains, injuries and coordination issues. Puberty can bring hormonal changes in the body; mood swings, a lack of drive, or new found sexual feelings. These aspects can effect a players enjoyment or importantly their commitment to their development. 

 

This can effect some players self-belief and they start to question their ability as they take a (short term) dip in performance. Some players don’t develop till late and so size and strength early on becomes an issue for them (these players often come through the other end because they developed their technical and cognitive skills as it was essential without the physicality. And developed their mindset to overcome obstacles and persevere under difficult times). 

These maturational changes can have major effects on the players individual perception of their self and the resulting confidence in their ability. It may also affect how coaches view and make decisions on them and how they utilise these players in games. Do they get less minutes? Play out wide and not in the middle? Have less impact and importance? 

Peer pressure - embrace greatness or mediocrity?

Between 12-16 young players have a lot more going on than when they were 8-11. There are more distractions and pressures on them. School work demands, more social activities, more independence and thus a greater need for self-discipline and self-sacrifice. Because of all this often times their football suffers for it. 

Many 8-11 year olds love football and football alone. Yet get into the mid-teens and many new distractions and interests arise, often leading to a drop in commitment and drive. Do they stop doing the extra training to spend time with their mates instead? Do they choose to play FIFA or hanging out with mates instead of going to the park to work on their control/finishing/fitness or to the gym to work on their strength and flexibility? Do they find time to analyse their game footage or watch matches to learn from the top players? The time is there, the commitment to utilise and maximise that time is key.

 

And the final point here which is so important is diet and nutrition. Teenagers overall start to eat badly and have poor sleep, therefore neglect and limit growth and recovery. For a player attempting to become an elite athlete many ignore or neglect one of the most important elements, nutrition. 

 

At this age the world now becomes crueller, especially for the more 'talented' individuals. They are now targets to others. Many wish to bring them down, not propel them forward. This applies also to parents, who look at the ‘better’ players with envy and put into their child’s head negativity and hate.

 

Dr Andrew Hill, a lecturer in sports and exercise science, at the University of Leeds conducted research which has found that some youngsters are showing signs of chronic stress, exhaustion, and disillusionment with academy football at a young age. 167 junior male soccer players in eight academies and centres of excellence attached to English professional clubs were studied and a quarter of the boys reported symptoms of burnout. Players who reported pressure from others, a fear of making mistakes, and other external pressures, were at the greatest risk from burnout.

 

“What we see among the athletes showing symptoms of burnout is emotional and physical exhaustion, a sense that they are not achieving and a sense of devaluation of the sport. Even though they might originally enjoy their sport and be emotionally invested in it, they eventually become disaffected. Participation can be very stressful,” said Hill.

 

It takes a strong mindset for a young player to deal with these issues and excel out of them. Look at the story of Pirlo as a youngster. Subjected to bullying from players and parents for his talent, ostracized by his team because of jealously. In that Brescia side he and his teammates knew he was the best, and as he says,

 

“From an early age, I knew I was a better player than the others, and for that very reason tongues were soon wagging. Everyone talked about me; too much in fact, and not always in a good way. On more than one occasion, my dad, Luigi, had to leave the stand where he was watching and flee to the other side of the pitch, to avoid hearing the nasty comments made by other parents.”

 

The jealousy of the star player, the player who puts their own son in the shadows. This hatred of a player becomes an infestation in the side, a cancer which spreads across the cliques of parents and ultimately to the players. We have all seen it, a bitterness and mumbling of discontent that the best player is taking away their son’s chance.  

 

So what did Pirlo do? Did he quit? Did he give in to them and appease their wishes to be a cog in the team they desired? Of course he struggled to comprehend it, found it very hard. Yet he sought to do what he did even more, even better. He embraced the label he was given of ‘Maradona’ and took his game to a new level. Overcoming this adversity certainly enhanced him as a player. He wasn’t going to change, he was going to continue doing what he loved to do, what he was great at. He knew he was the best player and wouldn't let these jealous parents and players deny him his wish to be who he wanted to be. 

 

For Pirlo their derision inspired him, he took that criticism and made it a motivator. However, most players are destroyed by this experience, they just want to play, score goals and express themselves but they are told off, bullied and often ostracized for it, for what? Enjoying the game of football, being creative, being a success? Pleasingly for the game of football Pirlo’s belief and confidence in himself allowed him to excel beyond the haters.

 

Think of how many young players have experienced this type of adversity? Unfortunately this vicious world of jealousy will seek to pull down those above in order for others to believe they can move above. Too many young players choose the simple path, the one of mediocrity. They become sheep, following the crowd, fearful of appearing different, of being afraid of the eyes of hate on them. 

 

Pirlo showed strength, bravery and belief. Three aspects which talented young footballers can often lack in the key moments. To become a professional, yet alone a world class player, these attributes will be called upon. It will most often happen in moments of adversity, when someone is truly tested. Pirlo passed the test, showed resilience, he believed in himself and was brave enough to overcome the hate. That is not an easy feat.  

 

Changing the culture

We appear to suffer, and by ‘we’ I mean a culture in English football, from achievement. There appears a genuine dislike for people who exceed their levels, of rising above the rest. When they do they are often mocked and ridiculed. We take pleasure in bringing them down, almost wishing to destroy them. Why is this?  I know this is a reason for why we have mediocrity across our nation. 

 

Why should we reduce the levels and standards in our players? Is this going to bring greatness? I don’t believe so. High demand, high support is a method I believe in. Expect a lot of your players, demand high standards, and give them the honesty and support required to achieve this. Develop the right mentality to overcome adversity, and for them to keep improving.

 

Pirlo overcame it and thrived, leaving the haters behind. However I fear that there are many who either cannot deal with this pressure, or give in and stop working harder than the rest, drop their levels to feel inclusive in a group which is average, this leads to mediocrity. That is a real concern for me, this culture we have and how we view talent and achievement. Players who opt to pass instead of taking responsibility for fear of losing the ball or being told off by teammates or coaches. Yet if we don't produce risk takers what kind of players will we produce? Safe, no risk footballers? Is that conducive for top level football?

 

All this is why the psycho-social elements are really the most important aspect of youth development. 

 

The importance of team and togetherness

My belief about player development, is that the team matters. That the support staff, teammates and whole unit must be together and dedicated to improve. That we are all here to help each other improve. There can be no room for jealously or bitterness to each other. We must be driven to continually improve and enhance our development. We must support each other and push each other forward. This is what the culture in own team/Academy seeks to achieve. 

I am extremely proud to see 10 players of our U16's achieve scholarships this season, it shows that the club value the talent, but importantly they have proven themselves a very good team. A very close and committed group, they work for each other, they graft for each other every session and game. The better players set the standards and understand the culture - and importantly they support their teammates. There is no ego or arrogance, no criticism or negativity - except if a player shows a bad attitude, looks to quit or doesn't adhere to the values. Our staff has created an environment of accountability and togetherness. And this cohesion has made us a stronger team. So what has happened? We compete every game and win a lot of games. Our players express themselves and seek to be creative without fear of failure or being told off. We have moments of excellence and creativity because the players know they can try things - as long as they work hard for the team if the ball is lost. We attack and defend with great energy. It's a joy to watch. And the key is togetherness. So it's valuing the team to help individuals further. 

Is the culture demanding and hard? Of course. We work hard every session. But the players have embraced it. And so they show a champions mentality to improve. They push themselves and we as staff push, challenge and support them. It's not fluffy - it's tough. But it's a positive learning environment and this has shown to develop better players, and more of them. We haven't neglected any players development, every player is supported and valued. So whatever level they move to next, they have been helped on their journey. And that's what coaching is isn't it? Helping every player you work with to improve along their journey. 

 

Mindset is key

As you can tell I am very passionate about the mentality in sport. I am always talking about mindset, personality, character, determination, drive – whether its on a blog, on twitter or importantly with my players and coaches. The idea of putting psych-social in a ‘corner’ seems comical to me. These aspects incorporate all the others, they either enhance the technical, tactical or physical or stunt them. For us psycho-social elements ‘underpin’ the rest. Everything we do, say and act is and affects psych-social elements. 

 

A players own personality, the strength of their mentality, the support they have around them; parents, family, coach and the social aspects of their team will either enhance or stunt a players development.

 

Now there are those who believe that the best indicator of a player’s talent is their skill level. Yet there has been criticism of targeting players based on their ‘skill’. If you find a player already possessing skill then excellent, yet for others - scouts should be looking for a player’s movement, decision making and understanding over skill. Dr Richard Bailey, an expert in long term development and talent identification, believes that “The importance of technical proficiency is massively overrated,” and that "personality is the key for talent identification."

 

When we talk about recruitment and what to ‘look’ for in players the personality and character of a player should be a key, if not the most important element. Perhaps this culture we have where technical skills appear to be the only focus for some coaches means we are forgetting or neglecting the most important element?

 

The pursuit of greatness

If we can get into a players mind and make them more determined, self-motivated and have greater self-belief, to want improve their all-round game, to persevere through difficult times and to be resilient, then they will work on enhancing their game, they will work on their diet and they seek to improve and not quit even through difficult moments.

 

Above all the individual players need to be braver, more confident and not so concerned by being judged or lambasted by their peers, coaches and parents. We need to provide and educate them on the tools to have excellent mindset. To improve how they deal with pressure, how they react from mistakes and bad games and how to focus on the process. This is where coaches can really help develop greater players, and people. 

 

As coaches and parents we can seek to create an environment which allows players to express themselves, to take responsibility and to be brave. We can have a massive influence on how players perceive their selves and can seek to impart in them aspects of confidence and belief. 

 

People are products of their environment and their mindset is often developed and derived from that environment. Create the environment for excellence and confidence, for determination and commitment and you will see this in your players. Make your environment challenging and competitive, sharpen the players edge and grit to compete and improve. Make it an environment which challenges and supports. 

 

As a coach create an environment which teaches their players to respect each other, not to be selfish or bitter but to be positive and supportive, to push each other upwards, to help each other achieve greatness. To put the time in, commit fully, work hard and push each other to be better at all times. I am positive you will see more players thrive. And as a coach enjoy your environment and culture much more. You’ll probably win more games too. 

 

My concern is that we have players who could be great who choose the easy road of mediocrity. If we keep accepting average, if we keep allowing average to bring down great, then we are doing a disservice to individuals in our environments. 

 

We need more environments which focus on developing a culture of greatness and which develops the mentality required for greatness to thrive. For me those who choose the road of mediocrity have no place in these environments. 

 

Happy new year everyone. Hope you enjoy the blog this year.

Matt Whitehouse @M_R_Whitehouse