| Dear Parents... |
Mike Lentz is the director of the Olentangy Classics, one of the largest clubs in Central Ohio. The following is a letter he sends to parents each year. Motivation and goal setting are not just for the college or professional player.
Dear Parents,
Please share this message with your son and assist him with the exercises I describe below. The players and I have spent many hours on the field preparing for the upcoming tournament. The boys have had fun while working hard; I believe they are ready for this great opportunity...a challenge during which they must push themselves and their teammates to consistently perform to the best of their abilities against very good competition. Despite all the hours of on-field training, preparing for a game/tournament requires much more than showing up to practice and working on one’s technical skills (passing, receiving, shooting, crossing, defending, etc) and tactical awareness (when to cross, how to defend, when to overlap etc). Proper preparation requires a player to train the mind as well.
Preparing the Mind
Too often I hear coaches or parents ask their son or daughter “Are you ready to play?” or give them an order: “Make sure you are ready to play.” What does this mean? Is that coach or parent referring to the child’s ability to kick, pass or shoot the soccer ball? No! They are asking that child if he or she is mentally ready to play.
However, most players don’t know how to mentally prepare for a game. Why? There are many reasons but I believe (1) youth players don’t appreciate how valuable mental preparation can be to their performance, and (2) mental preparation doesn’t always have immediate and quantifiable results. In the former case, a child’s appreciation for mental preparation will increase as he/she matures. Therefore, it is vital
The exercise I describe below will help your son prepare mentally for the tournament’s challenges. These exercises are not soccer-specific; they can be used to prepare for tests at school or other sporting activities.
“I Will....” Statements
This is a very simple exercise that I believe pays huge dividends. Please read the following and have your son write five realistic, specific and measurable “I Will...” statements. These statements, if achieved, will help the team be successful. These “I Will...” statements will become the basis for the team’s “We Will...” statements before each game.
As the coach, I believe that when we step onto the field, we are the team to beat. We are the Indiana (men’s soccer); the Duke (basketball); the North Carolina (women’s soccer); the Kenyon (the women’s swim team has won 20+ consecutive national titles); the Ohio Wesleyan (men’s soccer); the Ohio State (football); the Boston Celtics (NBA); the Boston Red Sox (MLB).... you get my point. Every team we play looks at their schedule and says, “Hey, we have to play our best so we can beat that team.” Some may call this arrogant. But, I call it team confidence. I believe we can win every game if the players work together, work hard and have fun. The best compliment you can give another player/team is to play your best for the game’s duration. It shows you consider them a worthy opponent and that you prepared and played your best for the entire game. Never feel bad about competing to the best of your ability.
Players should welcome and accept the challenge of being the best. Therefore, I challenge the players to “Be Ready To Play!” What does it mean to be the best? What does it mean to “Be Ready To Play” and to give your best effort in EVERY SINGLE TIME YOU STEP ON THE FIELD? For me, it means....
I will....
• love every second that I am able to coach the game of soccer
• give my finest effort from start to finish
• embrace every obstacle or challenge as an opportunity to become a better coach
• strive for excellence in everything that I do... pass, trap, shoot, sprint, defend, attack, crosses etc.
• take pride in my performance
• learn something new today
• support the my teammates ALL THE TIME
• HAVE FUN!
So, for the players to “Be Ready To Play,” they too must think about a game/practice long before they get out of the car. They must prepare their mind for the challenges ahead. Here are some suggestions of things players can do...
The Mind
• needs to think positive thoughts
• needs to be free of distractions (school, family, girlfriends, homework), so listen to music, close your eyes, take deep breaths.
• Needs to accept mistakes. We all make them. How we respond to mistakes (our own and others) is most important. “GET THE NEXT ONE.”
Players, this is your responsibility; I want you to write down five (5) “I Will…” statements and read them before you go to bed the night before the game/tournament. The “I Will....” statements should be realistic, detailed and measurable (I will cross the ball three times each half; or I will win five 1 v. 1 duels each half; I will talk positively to my teammates; etc).
And then have fun…
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