Take the pressure off

Sourced from http://www.footy4kids.co.uk/

There is a direct relationship between pressure, anxiety and performance. Pressure increases anxiety and heightened anxiety lowers performance. The more pressure, the more anxious your players become and the more their performance suffers.

This scenario is known as "choking" and it affects everyone involved in sport, not just youngsters – we've all seen great golfers miss the 3ft putt they need to win a tournament and top soccer players blast a vital penalty over the bar.

How much harder, then, is it for young children to perform to their potential when they are put under pressure?

There are four types of pressure your players have to deal with on match days:

1) Peer pressure

Children can be less than supportive of team mates who make mistakes. Very often, quite cutting remarks are made after an attacker misses an open goal or a goalkeeper fumbles a simple catch.
The knowledge that there are players in the team (I call them "snipers") who are quick to criticise mistakes will raise anxiety levels among the rest of the players significantly.
If you have "snipers" in your team you have to take action. Stress to your players everyone makes mistakes. The best soccer players in the world, their parents and even you, the coach, don't always get it right and team players never criticise a team mate.
Lead by example: don't criticise a player who makes a mistake in training or in a match. Publicly congratulate them for trying to do whatever it was they were attempting and privately ask them if they can think of a way they could have done it better.
Making mistakes is part of the learning process. No mistakes = no learning.

2) Parental pressure

Parental expectation is a huge influence on a child's performance. I've seen talented players freeze up completely when their dad or mum is on the touch line, even if they are only watching quietly.
While it's not easy for a coach to remove the pressure some parents put on their children to perform, we can explain to parents they should support their child regardless of how well they perform and that all you expect (and all they should expect) is that their child tries their best.
Win or lose, parents should give their child a big hug, lots of praise and let them know how much they appreciate their hard work and sportsmanship.

3) Coach pressure

The pressure a coach can unconsciously exert on a child should not be underestimated.
Your players know that you want the team to do well, they have a part to play and you are watching them. What they also have to know is that you want players to take risks and you will praise them in front of their friends if they try something new or difficult.
And remember to smile! A coach who smiles a lot and has fun with their players will get the best out of them by generating a pressure-free environment for them to play in.

4) Internal pressure

We all have a "little voice" in our heads that berates us (often very harshly) when we make a mistake or do something wrong.
For our players, fear of the little voice in their head saying "you're stupid" or "you're useless at shooting" is enough to stop them from even trying to use their skills on match day.
Also, a child's internal dialogue can set them unachievable goals. Pressure from a child's peers, parents and coaches to do well can result in their little voice telling them: "I have to be good at everything, I mustn't let my friends/parents/coach down, I must not fail."
Not surprisingly, a child who has this sort of faulty internal dialogue going on in her head is not going to risk trying anything that could set it off.
So we have to change this dialogue to a more reasonable: "I am allowed to fail. My friends/coach/parents just want me to try my best, that's all."
We can do this by consistently reinforcing the fact that they are not stupid, that they are not useless at shooting (or anything else) and that we really only want them to try hard.
If you can influence a child's internal dialogue in this way it will have a really positive impact on many aspects of their life, not just on the pitch.

Conclusion

An understanding of the way pressure can affect performance is vital if you are going to get the best out of your players.
Deal with the "snipers" and educate your parents. Remain positive and cheerful in all your dealings with your players – no matter what the situation – and you will stop your players choking on match days.