A lot of people spend a lot of time talking about the “X’s” and “O’s” and the details of the plays in soccer. But there is something that is often overlooked, but that will actually determine who wins and who loses in most soccer matches. It’s mental toughness.
Coach Paterno would tell us that in a close soccer game, where both teams are tied, the team that makes the other team say “ouch” is the team that will win the game. Keep in mind that I’ll take your best shot and get up anyway. You can write me down, but I’ll come back and answer your score. You can punch me in the mouth on one play, but you better enjoy the feeling, because I’ll be back on the next. This is the mentality of a mentally strong team.
It’s sad to say that it’s rare to see tough players these days, let alone tough teams. I’m talking about people who have a focus to not stop or relax until they have achieved their goals as a team. During our undefeated season in 1994, we made the decision as an offense to put the game out of reach for halftime. That didn’t mean it always happened. But it did mean that we were committed to more than just winning, but to dominating our opponents. If the other team felt they could have won the game, then we didn’t make them say ouch. To dominate in soccer is to make the other team want to leave the field and look at the clock in the hope that it will speed up to 0:00.
Coach Paterno was telling us to line up, run our play, hit the other team, knock them down, help them up, and knock them down again! Being mentally strong means that your team will work so that the other team doesn’t want to get up after the play. I’m not talking about playing dirty or outside the rules of the game. I’m talking about being physical and willing to hit and take a hit.
I remember during a 2-minute drill against Indiana, I caught a pole up the middle to get us into field goal range. The safety punched me in the back when I went up to catch the ball. I knew immediately that she was hurt. I could feel my ribs crush from the blow. But I wasn’t going to give the other team the satisfaction of knowing they were hurting me. I got up as fast as I could and ran to the sideline as the field goal team came onto the field. As soon as I was out of sight of a sideline camera, I screamed in pain! I ended up having to take a pain shot at half time to end the game.
Why was it important for me to get up? Because I wanted to tell the other team by lifting me up, that their best shot can’t stop me! I can take it, get up and make another play. Over the course of a game, that fact will cause your team to maintain its momentum, while at the same time causing the other team to lose hope. Once a team loses hope, there’s no way they can win a game.
