askasoccerpro · mentality · soccer ·

#AskASoccerPro Show Ep. 038: When to Go Against the Coach’s Directions

by Quincy Amarikwa

Welcome back! The professional soccer season in the U.S. may be finishing, but we are still going strong here in the MSL! In today’s episode, we cover:

  • The value of MSL in late season
  • Going against the coach’s directions
  • Why are players nervous before a game
  • Quincy skips leg day?
  • Invest in yourself
  • The difference between the MLS and the “Top 5” Leagues
  • Shaking off aggressive defenders

If you missed the live, make sure to catch the replay, and join me, Quincy Amarikwa, every Thursday at 6 pm PST/9 pm EST on Instagram for a new AASP LIVE show and a chance to have your questions answered by a professional soccer player!

Now, let’s get into a few of my favorite topics from this week’s live!

The Value of MSL Late in the Season

“Late in the season when bodies are tired, the MENTAL STRENGTH LEAGUE is the only thing that can help you overcome any obstacle.”

The MSL is literally the only thing that matters late in the season. Mentality is the most important aspect of playing at the professional level. Now, at certain points during the season, mentality can make or break your season and make or break the opportunity you and your team have sitting in front of you.

Late in the season, many teams and players have gotten mentally complacent. Succumbing to this complacency significantly affects them in the final weeks of the season. The end of the season is the time where teams either step up and make a push to develop the cohesion needed for the playoffs, or, they crumble and implode.

The final weeks of the season are a crucial point. Those who prepare for will prosper, while those who believe they still have time and lack urgency will be left looking to their left and their right, wondering, “what happened?”

When to Go Against the Coach’s Directions

In practice, when your coach is asking you to try something you don’t necessarily agree with or understand, try to the best of your ability to do what is being asked of you. Afterward, off the field or in the locker room, ask your coach to clarify what they want you to do and why they want you to do it in a certain way.

Try to approach the situation from a perspective of open-mindedness and a willingness to learn. When you are speaking with your coach, try coming at the encounter with a standpoint of wanting to learn and understand, rather than an attitude where you already believe they are wrong and don’t know what they are talking about.

Ultimately, your coach is the one who will be making the decisions. Whether you believe they are wrong, or they are wrong, is almost irrelevant. For example, Let’s say your coach wants to make an emotional decision not to play you. Sure, the situation might not be fair or just, but at the end of the day, the coach isn’t playing you.

You have to understand as a player that the coach has the power to play you, or not – for whatever reason. When you are asking for feedback, wanting to understand what to do, or how you can improve, know that a few things are real:

  1. The coach doesn’t have to tell you.
  2. The coach can tell you, and it might not be true.
  3. The coach could tell you, and what they tell you might be true. However, even if you put in all the work and do all the things that the coach tells you to improve. . . They can still choose not to play you.

At the end of the day, the decision of whether or not you play is up to the coach. Second to understanding mentality, you have to understand the politics of the game and how they can positively or negatively affect your opportunities.

You give yourself the best opportunity to succeed when, no matter if you agree or disagree with what the coach is asking you to do; you approach the situation by trying to understand their perspective and not making it seem as if you believe they are wrong.

Final Thoughts

Thank you for joining us for yet another week in the MSL! One piece of advice I’d like to leave you with this week is, invest in yourself. 

I’ll repeat it, INVEST IN YOURSELF.

At Perfect Soccer, we believe that you are all you need to succeed in life and soccer. You might not have someone to show you precisely what you need to do to prepare for games, to write out training plans and nutrition plans for you, but you can be that person for yourself.

If you don’t have money, remember, you do have time. So, take the time to do the research and find the resources you need. Money makes things easier for people. If you don’t have it, that just means you need to work harder. We are giving the information to you for free at Perfect Soccer. Start with our book, and follow up with our blog articles, videos, and our live shows.

Remember, in the MSL, we think long term, we do what is right not easy, we invest in ourselves, and we get the job done.

Until next time! 👉🏽😶👈🏽

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