With Euro 2012 just around the corner it’s creating such a buzz in Ireland. Listening to the radio, people’s voices are energetic, fun, and lighthearted.There is a sense of optimism that is infectious. It is driven by hope.
Ireland a different state
We have literally changed our state of mind. The economy has not changed. Yet our attitude has. Countdown is on the way. Excitement is in the air.
How do you see the lads’ mental strategies?
Sport is like life. You have to focus. With that is the burning question “where do you want the ball to go?”. The answer is easy. Footballers focus on where they want the ball to go. Their focus is geared only to where they want it to go – their desired outcome.
Tunnel Vision:
All great sports people visualise the game in their heads hundreds of times before they play. That’s what makes the difference between a good player and an average player. The good player makes pictures in his head. He hears the cheers. He feels his boot kick the ball hard and deliberate. He knows where he wants it to go. He dreams the dream. He plays the pictures and turns up the sound in his head repeatedly. He runs it like a movie in his head constantly. That’s how he is a winner. He visualises.
Working as a team:
Like a family, they work together. They shield each other from the blows. Their focus is everything. Belief is the fuel that drives them. Together they can make a difference.
How they keep motivated:
They sharpen their mental strategies and flex their muscles. Building strength and determination, they build mental pictures in their head that become powerful. They talk to themselves in their head about how they can win. They train and they feel pain. And the magic of their own movies inside their head keeps them going when the going gets tough.
How could their mental strategies help you this week?
What if, this week, you decide to keep focused on what needs to be done? Imagine it inside your head.
- Focus on the outcome you want.
- Use your mental strategies to get into a different state.
- Think about what you want.
- Think like a winner.
- Use your tunnel vision to be optimistic and drive that motivation.
- Know where you want to go and never take your eye off the ball.
Best wishes to all our lads on the Irish team. We support you. We are with you and we are learning from you.