Achieving mental toughness

Much has been written and spoken about “mental toughness” and I have touched on it in many articles. This article will focus on how professional footballers stay sharp under pressure, when the chips are down during the game, and how they push through.

It’s quite fitting since the English Premier League is heating up and, for the first time in a very long while, Liverpool actually stand a chance of lifting the trophy. They have some amazing leadership from Juergen Klopp and his team, but the question everyone will be asking is: How do they stay sharp or focused under ever-increasing pressure to score, perform and win?

A research article from the Journal of Applied Sports Psychology on defining and understanding mental toughness in football found it was key to, firstly, cope better than your opponents with the many demands of training, competition and the disciplined lifestyle that the sport places on its top players. Secondly, it’s about being more consistent in retaining a determined, focused, confident attitude, and remaining in control under pressure.

So what are the ways this can be developed, specifically in the football arena? Before, during and between matches, how do some of the top professional players stay sharp, focused and consistently under control, when others around them are losing their cool?

A few comments from former Arsenal star Mikel Arteta and “InnerDrive’s” mental coach Brad Busch resonate.