Most players’ drift through life thinking the magic day will eventually come to them. That soccer is fair and they deserve to be rewarded.
Are you joking?
Tick, tick, tick.
Can you hear that?
Every single day counts. Time doesn’t stop because you want it to. Nobody can stop the biological clock can they?
What you do on Friday nights counts.
What you do on the weekend’s counts.
What you do with your friend’s counts.
A superstar is the accumulation of blood, sweat and tears with addition of good choices. Choices are extremely important and will inevitably determine the player you will become.
The Choice Is Yours
At the end of the day, the choice is yours. If you choose to play professionally then start paying the price. No one is going to hand you a piece of paper worth millions are they?
More than any other factor, the player you are today and in the future will be decided by the choices you make. Think about it for a minute. You make choices daily, hourly and minute-by-minute. Now imagine making different choices in your past.
What would’ve happen if you trained solid for the last 2 years?
Would you be a different player today?
Would you be a better player?
How might your soccer be different today with a handful of different choices?
The funny thing is you already know the answer don’t you? Don’t forget the choice is yours, you’ve decided to pursue a soccer career and to be honest I don’t blame you.
So let me offer you some encouragement. Make today the turning point. Mark it on your calendar or simply welcome it by punching your fist on the table.
From today onwards you will start making wiser decisions and taking different steps.
You will choose to train and develop your skills. You will choose a healthy lifestyle and diet.
If you want to play professionally you must choose and stop wasting time. If you need reminding here it is, tick, tick, tick, the clock will not stop and you can never go back.
So what are you waiting for?
Can you answer this question without an excuse?
What’s Your Excuse?
Don’t be offended by the question. Questions are the best teachers because they prompt you to think. Questions are captivating because every single human being is conditioned to answer them.
So ask yourself, what is my excuse?
What images does this question evoke in your mind?
Can I guess?
Chances are you’re playing PlayStation or Nintendo while drinking soft drinks. When this gets boring you will be promoted to the couch and be dazzled by the quality of reality shows that television has to offer. The only benefit from this scenario is the stretching you do while reaching for the potato chips and the remote control. Am I close?
What about this one?
You desperately want to play professionally and are ready to commit and train hard. But not today, I’ll start tomorrow or even better, next week.
Can you hear that? Sorry but I’m laughing my arse off.
That’s right, excuses need to be laughed at, not dignified. It’s very easy to say,
“Not today I’m tired.”
“I’ll start training tomorrow.”
“It’s raining or it’s too hot.”
You know what happens every time you make an excuse? You lose your confidence, mojo, respect and credibility all at the same time. What happens when you continue to make excuses?
It becomes a habit and a vicious cycle. Your brain goes into overdrive and conjures up the most exotic excuse to rationalise your lack of motivation. The fact that you’re not training is never your fault is it?
A Kick in the Balls
Think of the players you admire the most. It could be Ronaldo, Messi and a whole galaxy of players. But think of 3 players you would like to be.
Whenever you think of an excuse, ask yourself what these players would do. Ask yourself if there has ever been a player in similar circumstances who succeeded despite of these excuses.
Remember, somebody somewhere has usually had it far worse than you and still managed a contract. Playing computer games is not a hardship in case you were wondering.
I Object Your Honour
Excuses make you a victim. Refuse to appoint yourself a victim. Victims are too busy crying and too busy dwelling on injustice and being bitter. The sad truth is you will always be able to come up with an eloquent excuse that will inevitably rob you of any chance of playing professionally.
The only thing more damaging than an excuse is making the same excuse twice.
Remember this,
The weather, technology and emotions will come and go, but consequences will last forever.
Never start a sentence with,
“Yes, but.” From today there are no more excuses.
“May the winds of destiny blow you to the stars.”
@kidssoccer @JaredMontz 12 old enough to hear this? Soccer Advice: The Countdown Begins http://bit.ly/k1uSDA (I fear burnout)
This is my response to the tweet above from @iam_carey on Twitter.
Yes, fearing burn out is normal. Burn out happens to players at all ages, all levels and no matter how dedicated the player is to their game. It’s natural. That’s why players shouldn’t train 7 days a week every week. A day off or two a week is good for the body and the mind.
Should a 12 year old read this article? Remove the words “arse” and “kick in the balls” and I think it is okay for them. If you are a truly committed 12 year old that wants to play pro you can certainly have that “pro” attitude and train hard. Does this article apply to all 12 year olds? No, I don’t think so. But if you are a 12 year old that says you want to play pro, then you need to understand how much work that takes. I think that is the main point of this article.
My thing is if you Believe in it® and back that up with hard work, anything in life is possible. The key is the hard work part. I very rarely interview pro soccer players that say they don’t work hard.