Mental preparation in football is becoming more and more important, so we asked our favourite mental coach to give you a few tips on the subject!
Hey my football friend, Adrien Cabon here, a former player at the OL academy and now a mental coach for athletes specialising in football. Today, we're going to talk about your pre-match routine and the impact it can have on your mindset so you can perform better. VAMOS!
Understanding the pre-match routine
Let's start with the basics: what is a pre-match routine? A pre-match routine is a set of habits that you put in place before the match. And it's the repetition of these specific habits that makes up what we call your "pre-match routine".
This pre-competition routine can start the day before the match, on the morning of the match, or simply 1 hour before kick-off. It's up to you. And it's also up to you to decide which habits you put in place.
Here are some examples of habits that some of the players I work with have included in their routine:
- Listening to a particular playlist or piece of music
- Calling loved ones
- Doing a visualisation exercise
- Juggling in the dressing room with team-mates
- Praying before the match
- Doing the housework before heading to the stadium...
The mental benefits it brings
Creating a pre-match routine can bring two main mental benefits:
- Limiting intrusive thoughts
- Making it easier to manage stress
Your brain naturally always tries to anticipate things, which is why you have thoughts constantly. The only time this flow calms down automatically is when your brain is sure of what is going to happen. By creating a routine, you let your brain know exactly what is going to happen in advance. It will then be reassured, and your flow of thoughts and your stress will decrease automatically.
Be careful: this will only work if you put in place habits that you enjoy. And to make sure your pre-match routine is effective, you'll have to try out different things.
Is a pre-match routine essential for managing stress?
A pre-match routine is one tool among many that can help you manage your stress better, but no, it isn't essential. I recommend trying out this mental preparation tool on your own, as it's quite easy to set up. You can then see whether it suits you. And if it doesn't, you can contact me so I can personally help you manage your stress in any circumstances.
In the meantime, here's how to create your pre-match routine:
- Identify the precise moment when you start to feel stress (or your brain starting to boil over) before the match
- Put one or more specific tasks in place to occupy your mind with something else from the moment the stress appears
- Test and improve your routine
If you want to benefit from all my expertise to improve your performance through the mental side of the game, book your free call on my website to find out more about my individual coaching programmes.
