Advice From Top Goal Scorer Paul Wright
English-born Paul Wright has trained a number of high-profile professional and college athletes, including Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, former LA Dodgers outfielder Trent Oeltjen, LA Clippers forward Grant Hill and U.S. Men’s National Team forward Herculez Gomez.
Speed To Burn founder Paul Wright is a well known former professional soccer player and an amazing trainer. A legendary high scoring forward, Wright is a gifted and natural athlete who walked on the soccer field and made an immediate impact. In Southern California, Wright helped the San Diego Sockers win numerous national championships. After having up his professional cleats, Wright chose to focus more on Speed To Burn — his speed and agility training programs for serious athletes of all sports. Wright also trains dedicated youth soccer players and helps them reach their goals.
It is a Forwards job to score goals — but, from the ranks of the MLS and EPL to the competitive youth soccer player – all players can hit a dry spell. What does a player do in this critical time? Even Wright admits to hitting a dry spell and here he shares his feedback for soccer players when they find themselves missing the back of the net.
Diane Scavuzzo: Do all soccer players hit a dry spell?
Paul Wright: Every goal scorer goes through slumps; they could be short, they could be long, but every goal scorer is going to go through them. It is just part of the game.
Diane Scavuzzo: How do they get out of it and what do you tell a soccer player who is in a dry spell and not scoring goals?
Paul Wright: It’s tough, you really just have to shoot your way out of it. Do a little extra in practice, do a little extra shooting after practice just to get more confidence in front of the goal – to get your confidence back.
To get out of a dry spell, you have to be confident.
Diane Scavuzzo: Is confidence one of the biggest hurdles?
Paul Wright: Yes, I think when you hit a dry spell, it definitely starts to affect your confidence. Even for professional soccer players, not performing on the field can hurt your self-esteem and dent your confidence.
Diane Scavuzzo: Does looking at film help or is it a bad idea?
Paul Wright: I recommend looking at films of all the goals that you scored — to look at and examine all the things you have done right.
But the most important advice is to just go back to the training field and work on shooting.
The repetition of getting those goals over and over again in practice is important. And, you want to become comfortable again in front of the goal. Once you get the first goal, then they all start to come back again — and, that confidence returns.
Diane Scavuzzo: Is it your technique that slipped? Is it your skill or is it bad luck? What is it?
Paul Wright: I think it’s just a cycle, it’s like a shooter in basketball, they’ll go through cycles too. Even the best shooters once in a while go through droughts where they can’t hit a shot for a while. It’s not that they’re bad shooters it just the cycle. Once you realize that a dry spell happens to everyone, you can relax about it and focus on getting out of it.
Diane Scavuzzo: If you had somebody you were training that was going through a dry spell what would you tell them?
Paul Wright: Let’s just keep training, keep shooting.
Don’t go into a shell because sometimes you will think “I’m not doing so well so I’m going to retreat.” That’s the wrong thing to do. Get out in front of the goal and practice. The feeling of scoring a goal is worth all the work.
Related Article: Paul Wright on Being an Impact Player
