Soccer Players: Why You Shouldn’t Overlook Mental Preparation in Your Game
Still not convinced about how important mental preparation is in sports—especially in soccer?
Take a second to read this quote. Once you find out who said it, you might completely change your mind:
“Learn to train your mind as well as your body. Mental strength is just as important as physical strength and will help you achieve your goals. Be disciplined. Staying motivated and sticking to your routine is key.”
(Source: Ouest France – Cristiano Ronaldo’s secrets for staying on top – 2018)
Convinced yet ?
These are the words of Cristiano Ronaldo—five-time Ballon d’Or winner, most-capped international player in history, and winner of countless titles. A living legend and one of the greatest players of all time.
Skipping mental preparation would be a huge mistake. In sports, it almost always leads to failure—and even more so in soccer.
In this article, we’ll show you why mental training matters and how, at Looking For Soccer, we make it a priority in everything we do.
Sport Lead-Up: Our Mental Coaching Partner
Because we work closely with both parents and young athletes during our camps, we felt it was essential to offer access to mental coaching sessions.
That’s why we’ve teamed up with SPORT LEAD’UP—giving our players special access to sessions that are critical for a young soccer player’s development.
Sport Lead’Up provides mental training through:
- One-on-one coaching tailored to each player
- Guidance on managing emotions and using mental techniques (like emotional anchoring), while connecting performance with personal values
- Optional group-based sessions for teams or clubs
Special Discounted Rates (USD) – Available Through Looking For Soccer
| OFFER | PRICE |
| Session Type | |
| Individual mental coaching session for kids | $77 instead of $83 |
| Individual teen/adult mental coaching session (12+ years) | $95 instead of $105 |
| Teen/adult mini-group session (from 3 people) | $52 instead of $57 |
| Corporate session (custom quote) | $48/hour per person |
| Packages | |
| 10-session package for kids | $71/session instead of $83 |
| 10-session package for adults (12+ years) | $88/session instead of $105 |
| 5-session package for kids | $77/session instead of $83 |
| 5-session package for teens/adults | $94/session instead of $105 |
| 5-session mini-group package (from 3 people) | $48/session instead of $57 |
Book a session now on their facebook or email [email protected]
Mental Training: The Real Game-Changer in Modern Soccer
Today’s 22 players on a soccer field are top-level athletes. Technically, every pro knows how to control the ball.
Why? Because almost all clubs follow similar training programs.
But the human body has its limits. Physical limits that can’t be pushed forever.
Geoffroy Berthelot, a biostatistician at INSEP (France’s National Institute of Sport, Expertise, and Performance), said during an Olympic documentary on Arte:
“We analyzed nearly 3,000 world records and around 40,000 Olympic performances in measurable events. There’s now broad consensus that humans are limited. We’ll never run faster than a cheetah, or swim faster than a dolphin. Our biology, our Darwinian evolution, has limits. We’re constrained by our physical and physiological makeup.”
(Source: Arte YouTube Channel – Inside Champions’ Minds – 2023)
So what’s the one area of performance with no ceiling?
Your mind.
“Sport seeks out fear to conquer it, fatigue to overcome it, difficulty to defeat it.”
– Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic Games (run-motion.com)
That’s why at Looking For Soccer, we’ve made mental preparation a key part of our training philosophy.
Mental Preparation: A Core Focus at Looking For Soccer Camps
Every Looking For Soccer camp includes dedicated mental training sessions.
How do they work? Let’s take our elite camp in Évian-les-Bains as an example.
There, mental coaching is a daily priority.
Specialized coaches prepare players mentally for top performance while sharpening their game IQ.
What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? How do you make the right decision in key match moments?
Mastering these questions gives you breathing room during the game.
Suddenly, stress becomes manageable.
No wasted energy. You stay locked in—like a laser on a target.
Ever seen Lionel Messi lose his cool on the field? Almost never…
Coaches also run debriefings that include mental reflection, and specialists host powerful workshops on this often-ignored topic—especially in traditional soccer schools.
The Mental Edge: Benefits for Soccer Players
Let’s be clear: your body and mind work as one.
Mental coach Raphaël Homat says it best:
“Stress creates muscle tension and burns a lot of energy. That impacts both health and performance.”
(Source: L’Équipe – Mental preparation, a key to performance – 2016)
You can’t succeed on physical and technical training alone.
You also need to manage your environment, distractions, and unexpected game-day conditions.
A surprise or setback can throw you off completely if you’re not mentally ready.
That’s where mental training steps in. It helps you handle pressure, competition, and adversity.
It allows you to:
- Stay calm and emotionally balanced
- Stay focused when it matters most
- Boost motivation levels
- Strengthen your self-confidence
The result?
You feel relaxed, focused, and fully in control.
You think like a winner—and you play like one.
Your body, skills, and mindset all align. That’s when you start winning.
At Looking For Soccer, our coaches are here to help you unlock that mental edge. They’ll teach you techniques like visualization, meditation, and more.
Tools you’ll use not only on the field, but in life too.
Don’t Leave Success to Chance
Now you know: mental preparation is one of the pillars of success in soccer.
Want to get better on the field? Dream of going pro? Then don’t ignore this.
If you—or your child—want high-quality technical and mental coaching, we’d love to hear from you.
