Staying mentally active whether that's during a quarantine or in the off-season, is extremely important and can take a player from good to great. We interviewed top college coaches and club directors from around the nation to see what they do with their athletes in the off-season and some tips they have for athletes at home right now. whether you're just starting mental training or a seasoned vet, these college coaches have great insight on how they use mental training with their athletes that you can use!

All interviews with coaches and directors have been put down below with a small snippet of what they talked about. 

Coaches

Rod Lafaurie: Elite Program Director of the Los Angeles Surf.

Manya Puppione: Head Coach of Women’s Soccer at Marymount University.

Chris Allen: Assistant Women’s Soccer Coach with St. Louis University.

Jeff Lewis: Assistant Men’s Soccer Coach with Utah Valley University.

**Interviews Below

Rod Lafaurie: Rod gives advice on how we can stay in shape, from a mental standpoint. Watching games from a tactical standpoint, visualization, and asking questions are all ways we can become better players while we're at home.

Manya Puppione: Manya reminds athletes to use this challenging time to not only grow as a player but also as a person. She recommends players get into a routine where they can set aside time to train on their own by playing in their backyard or going for a run however she also advises to set aside time for downtime for yourself to relax.

Chris Allen: Chris recommends athletes take this time to self reflect on what they want as athletes. Chris also recommends players continue to watch soccer games and highlights on youtube and TV. 

Jeff Lewis: Jeff’s biggest tip for players is to find a way to watch as much soccer as they can right now. He encourages athletes to watch highlights from old games and watch how the game was played 15-30 years ago. The other important way to stay mentally engaged is to follow a schedule. Jeff says that players need to find a way to be mentally disciplined enough to ‘not sleep in till noon’ and wake up ready to be productive for the day. Another important tip Jeff gives is for players to read books and articles about the game to learn a different side of the game that they may not have had time to do when they were in school six hours a day.

As we can hear from the coaches, there are many ways they use mental training to boost their game in the off-season. Any time is a great time to start focusing more on the mental side of your sport!