Boost Performance with Imagery Training
The mind is our most powerful tool. We can easily imagine ourselves on a crowded Barcelona beach enjoying the company of friends, feeling the sand between our toes, and listening to the crash of the waves. It can help us out when we’re forced to stay inside and miss out on training and playing soccer. Imagery training is also a powerful tool to boost performance on the pitch.
What is imagery training? You may also have heard of a similar training technique called visualization. Soccerparenting.com differentiates between the two:
“Visualization involves a scene with movement, your own or others, like watching a movie”
“Imagery involves the creation of an image, a picture, an idea, and the subsequent effects thinking about that image has on the body and all of the senses.”
So, in visualization, you might create a scene in your head in which you collect the ball from a throw in, quickly turn and ‘meg the defender, and run to goal to feint left, forcing the goalie to go in that direction, as you shoot the ball into the top right bins.
In imagery training, on the other hand, you’d focus instead on the ball in the back of the net. That image could help give you a sense of confidence and joy. You would try to think about how all of your senses would feel in that moment.
Imagery training and visualization are “the next best thing to being there.” Brain measurement tests show that imagining an activity “actually activates areas of the brain which are involved when physically performing the activity.”
How to Start Imagery Training
Encourage the young athlete’s ability to concentrate his or her imagination. Start with a simple image. It’s best to try this when the person is relaxed and comfortable. Try this brief exercise to begin:
Encourage the athletes to close their eyes.
Tell them to imagine they are sitting at a table. You are with them.
Say that they see a bowl of apples in front of them. (If they don’t like apples, pick another favorite fruit).
Ask them to imagine you pass them a piece of fruit.
They are now holding an apple in their hand.
Ask them to imagine what it looks like? What does it feel like? Does it have a texture? How heavy or light is it? Is it warm or cold? Does it have a smell?
Tell them to put the fruit back down on the table. You will slice it up for them. You are going to pass them one piece of the fruit.
Now they are holding a piece of the fruit in their hand. Ask them to imagine what it looks like now. How does it smell different?
Encourage them to imagine they are eating the piece of fruit. How does it feel in their mouth. Is it soft? Crunchy? Smooth? Wet? What does it taste like?
The goal is to get them immersed in their imagining of that piece of fruit. If it’s something they like to eat, you may see them relax or smile when they get to eat that imagined bite.
Translating Imagery Training to Soccer
So how is that fruit eating going to power better soccer playing? It’s not that the apple itself is going to boost performance. Yet, focusing the imagination in this more straightforward exercise can lead to training that helps with sport.
Perhaps your goalie wants to gain confidence and feel bigger in the net. It could help that player to imagine himself as a massive grizzly bear standing up on its hind legs and batting away balls like bumblebees.
Or maybe players want to be quicker or more agile. They could focus on an image of an animal that calls to mind speed (cheetah?) or agility (monkey?).
Visualization and imagery training has been studied extensively in connection with sport. For example, research has found:
Elite youth soccer players assigned to imagery training to envision the perfect pass improved significantly over eight weeks
Some elite players offered imagery training to support them in offensive soccer game situations improved their response time and were better able to collect information about opportunities to act around them
A study of novice athletes noted those with “a higher level of imagination” were more likely to use mental imagery and that imagery training “can result in enhanced performance among young soccer players”
Ultimately, there are many reasons to experiment with imagery training in sport. According to Dr. Jennifer Cumming at the University of Birmingham, using imagery can:
Help you build on strengths and eliminate weaknesses
Reduce anxiety in competition
Improve confidence and mental toughness
Boost motivation
Provide an outlet to stay in form when training is not possible
The more vivid and detailed your imagery, the better. Think about all of your senses and stay in the present. You’ll need to practice, but focusing on a positive image or visualizing a positive scenario can benefit your performance.
