What’s the difference between a champion player and someone that’s ready to pack it in?
Whether you like it or not, people, supporters, friends and coaches will all have something to say. They will comment on your game and performance.
Once you begin to play soccer, you’ll start getting feedback from all sorts of people. You will get advice, help, suggestions and even criticism.
The problem isn’t getting feedback but how you respond to it. As a player you have to be willing to respond to it.
Most players that receive criticism will drop their head or even worse, retaliate with some excuse or look to blame someone else.
A player that cannot respond to criticism or cannot accept it will eventually quit the game an unhappy person. Players that embrace criticism and feedback have the resources to become a better player and the potential to become a champion.
“Feedback is the breakfast of champions”.
Feedback comes in 2 different forms. Do you know what they are?
Feedback can either be positive or negative.
Everybody loves positive feedback from the 5 year olds attending their first clinic all the way to the most seasoned professionals. Positive feedback makes us feel good about ourselves. It’s a great indication that tells us that we are on the right track.
What about negative feedback? How do you deal with criticism?
Anyone here like negative feedback?
If you play soccer long enough the chances are you will receive plenty of criticism and a truckload of negative feedback. If you are like the majority of the soccer population this negative feedback would result in unhappiness, conflict and to some extent mental anguish.
But you’re not like the majority of the soccer population.
Are you?
When your form is good and your performances reflect this, everything is great. The positive feedback you receive is deserved and a great way to add a few inches to your ego.
But what happens when your form deserts you. When supporters start to get impatient with you and the coach decides to bench you. How do you feel?
No player likes to be criticized. However, there is more to learn from constructive criticism.
Without getting over dramatic and causing a riot, negative feedback is just a simple way of letting you know that you’re on the wrong track. You could be doing something wrong or your technique might need improving. Don’t you think this information is valuable? Don’t you think this criticism is designed to help you improve as a player?
The simplest way to become a great player is to change your views on negative feedback or criticism. Negative feedback is valuable so it’s a good idea to listen to it. This information gives rise to improvement opportunities that you’re probably not aware of.
The coach, supporters and/or friends are telling you how to improve. Coaches don’t criticize you to make you feel miserable. They’re teaching you and passing down years of experience. So listen up!
This might be a surprise to most, but to improve as a player you must welcome, acknowledge and embrace all feedback and criticism. All you have to do as a player is to take action and respond to your feedback.
“You ran out of legs in the second half”.
Solution- Work on your fitness and stamina.
Excuse- But we didn’t have possession of the ball.
“Your direct opponent scored twice and you didn’t even mark him”.
Solution- Practice defending and man marking. It’s not glamorous by any stretch of the imagination but neither is sitting on the bench.
Excuse- I wasn’t getting any support from my midfielders or defenders.
The feedback you receive is a true indication of your performance.
You need to stop making excuses and blaming others.
The answers to your problems are simplistic and can be found in your feedback if you’re honest with yourself. Learn to accept criticism on the chin and before you know it your playing ability will improve. It’s also character building to learn how to absorb the negatives and turn them into something positive. Give it a try instead of losing your temper.
There are many ways to respond to criticism. You can learn, develop or you can
- Give up and quit.
- Retaliate and get mad.
- Ignore the feedback.
As a player, you must stop taking feedback personally and understand that it’s only information designed to help you.
Crying, arguing and even fighting is not going to help you. It might release some bottled emotions but then what?
What about quitting?
Giving up doesn’t work either. Once you quit it might feel a little safer but what about your dreams and ambitions. You can’t win in the game of soccer if you’re not on the playing field.
What about getting angry? Is this a good strategy?
If you attack the feedback source, which is extremely valuable to you, what good is that? The feedback will stop and so will your learning experience and development.
At the end of the day, feedback is just information. Don’t make it personal and never try and clash with individuals.
Next time you’re confronted with criticism or negative feedback I want you to try something new. Can you do that for me?
I want you to say this,
“Thank you for your feedback, I really appreciate it.”
What ever you do, don’t be sarcastic. If you can say those words after being criticized then you my friend will build enough character to become the soccer player that you’ve dreamt of.
The players that continue to react will either disappear from the game or will spend a lifetime on the bench.
The choice is yours.
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