Episode 1: Introduction to Sports Psychology
This is the most important part of your game you've never been taught. Because it doesn't matter how fast, strong, or skilled you are. If your brain's not right, you'll never play at your best under pressure.
In this episode, I'll show you how to start training your mind the same way you train your body, and why this is what separates average players from elite performers. By the end of this video, you'll know what sport psychology really is, why it's the missing link for so many players, and how you can start training your mental game starting today.
Originally, sports psychology focused on performance, but now it's just as much about support in your lifestyle, your well being, and helping you enjoy the game at your best. It's about your mindset, your confidence, your focus, your leadership, and even how you grow as a person through football. A lot of players think sports psychology is only for players with problems. And that's just wrong, it's for players who want to get better. In many ways, sports psychology is a gym for your mind like a mental gym. Strength conditioning is used to help prevent injuries, keep you performing at a high level consistently, and to improve your athletic potential. The same applies to your mind with sports psychology. By development coping strategies, skills, pre performance routines and systems around how to best to perform and cope with what sports throws at you, you will become mentally strong and in turn, improve yourself on and off the pitch.
We talk about players who separate themselves from the crowd Jude Bellingham is a perfect example. From a young age, growing up in Stourbridge, England, it was clear Bellingham had something special, and it wasn't just his technical ability. He joined Birmingham City's academy early, and by 16, he made history as their youngest ever first team player. Now, a lot of players show talent at that age, but what set him apart was his mindset. Even when top clubs like Manchester United and Chelsea came calling, he didn't chase the biggest name. He chose Borussia Dortmund because he believed it was the right environment for his growth. That's a level of maturity that you don't often see in teenagers, and it paid off. He didn't just develop physically, he grew mentally. He Learned to handle high pressure games, bounce back from tough challenges, and lead older, more experienced teammates by example. Sure, he made mistakes, picked up fouls, had bad days. But instead of crumbling, he used those moments to sharpen his focus, his decision making, his leadership. Fast forward to Real Madrid, one of the biggest clubs in the world. And you see it again in his first season. He was scoring goals and consistently leading by example from the midfield. When Real Madrid needed someone to step up and win games, Jude was there.
And this is the key. It's not just about his tactical skills or his physicality. It's about how he thinks, how he reacts, how he stays composed. Jude Bellingham's story reminds us talent gets you noticed, but it's mental toughness, resilience and maturity that gets you remembered.
That is sports psychology in action, and it's a massive reason why he's one of the most exciting players of this generation.
So some common mistakes, most players make these mistakes: They think talent and hard work is enough. They ignore the mental side until something goes wrong. So like an injury, a bad run of form or when there is major pressure, what's the fix?
Start now. Build your mental skills before you desperately need them. If you wait till you're struggling, you're already behind.
So the first part we're going to be developing is the mental warm up routine, and it focuses on being present and in the moment. This can also be called mindfulness and is an extremely effective way of staying calm under pressure and refocusing your attention during a match or after a mistake. It helps keep your mind focused on the most important thing right here, right now.
This practice helps to develop the frontal lobe of the brain, more specifically the prefrontal cortex of our brains, which is responsible for emotional regulation, decision making, and attentional control. To help strengthen the brain, we will build a routine you can use before training or matches and start to build the foundations necessary to be a more complete football player.
So, your mental warm up routine:
So I want you to give yourself about five minutes to complete this routine. I don't want you to rush it seconds before a game. Try to give yourself five minutes of relaxation where you can sit down and get this routine going. Use it in the car, before you enter the changing room, before you leave the house or if you’re taking a bus or train to training. And it's important to give this 100% of your attention and for five minutes, it's really worth it.
Step 1: I want you to take three deep breaths. When you're taking these deep breaths, I want you to focus on filling up your belly with as much air as possible and placing your hand on your stomach and trying to push your hand out using the breath. So take long, deep, slow breaths and really engage with the sensations sent to yourself. Really Feel the breath entering your nose and mouth. Feel the air filling up your lungs slowly and leaving your body. Is it hot or is it cold? Where do you feel the breath? Your nose? your lips? Focus, on the breath. Check in; How does that feel to take three deep breaths? Are you more relaxed? Did you enjoy it?
Step 2: Set one intention for the session. Something simple like “today, I'll stay positive, even if I make mistakes”, “I will take a deep breath and focus on the in and out of the breathing rather than the negative emotions or feelings of frustration for the ref, another player, or a mistake I made”. Be present in the session with your intention. Did you achieve it?
Step 3: Set a timer for 30 to 60 seconds and visualize yourself succeeding at a scale that you’re working on, like a perfect pass, a well hit shot, anticipating a pass, a perfect tackle or a brilliant save. Try to visualize yourself in as much detail as possible. What the weather is, what the team is, where you're playing it. I want you to make it as vivid an image as possible. This whole routine probably takes less than two minutes, three deep breaths set and intention and then 30-60 seconds of visualization. It takes less than two minutes, but it will change how you train. It'll help you be intentional about your journey. Ask yourself right now, how much time do I spend training in my body each week? How much time do I spend training my mind each week? What could happen if I improved even 5% mentally?
Most players never even try, but if you're here, you're not most players.
Just a recap; sports psychology is about training your mind for better performance. The players who take it seriously build careers and become the players others look up to. For your next session, Do this 3 step mental warm up: Breath, set an intention and visualise success and notice the difference.