Performance is an Act and All Soccer Players Need to be Good Performers
CONFIDENCE HAS A REAL LOOK TO IT …
SoccerToday’s columnist Dan Abrahams shares his insights and advice for success on the soccer field for players of all ages. A global sport psychologist and author specializing in soccer, Abrahams is based in England and works with professional soccer players in the English Premier League (EPL).
Being successful on the soccer field requires confidence. As a soccer player, if you are not confident, you must fake it … until you make it. 
It’s a new year. New expectations and goals surround us. Let’s make the most of our opportunities.
I remember a while back when I had three new football clients – one of whom is quite famous and plays Premiership football, one of whom is a young player and wants to break into the first team at a League One club in England and the other a veteran who plays amateur soccer in the lower divisions of English football. A spread of age and ability – this is why I love what I do!
Give the performance of your life when you are on the soccer field.
Performance is an Act that all Soccer Players need to be good at.
PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE YOUR BODY LANGUAGE.
I tell you this not because I’m trying to impress you, but because I want to impress upon you that similar challenges can be experienced across different levels and age groups.
Sometimes, the same prescription can help different players. I’m going to describe this prescription for you now. Performance is an act. Yes, it is an act.
I also want my professional soccer players to be great actors and actresses. I want them to win an Oscar for their performances, and I want the three players who came to see me this past week to win Golden Globes and Oscars at the Academy Awards.
All three of my soccer players were suffering from a lack of confidence.
There was plenty to talk about! One had been dropped from the team after a series of poor performances. The other looked up to the first team and asked himself “How can I get there…Am I really good enough?” And the other couldn’t believe how far he had come and was frightened it was going to end…very soon! Get an image of this in your mind. Make it big and bold and bright.
Sometimes it’s so simple. Sometimes that’s all it takes. But there is a difference between simple and easy.
THE IDEA OF CONFIDENT BODY LANGUAGE IS A SIMPLE CONCEPT BUT ONE THAT ISN’T ALWAYS EASY TO ACHIEVE.
It takes self-awareness. It takes practice and patience. It takes determination and dedication.
Soccer players need to practice, practice, and practice their body language.
How you hold yourself, how you walk, the actions you take. If you are a coach — practice your body language. If you are a player — practice your body language.
If you concede a goal — practice confident body language. If you’re having a terrible training session — practice your body language.
A global sports psychologist and author specializing in soccer, Dan Abrahams is based in England and works with professional soccer players in the English Premier League (EPL). Abrahams has worked with hundreds of soccer players – many who play in the English Premier League (EPL). From working with players at Crystal Palace, QPR, Fulham, and West Ham among others, Abrahams counsels players on how to play at peak performance. Abrahams has authored several books and has a Soccer Academy as well.
