It’s easy to idolise footballers. At first glance, their lives are nothing like ours. Jam-packed stadiums, Ferraris, huge pay checks and fame on a scale that most of us can’t fathom. Footballers seem untouchable and otherworldly, but strip away the spectacle and the social media clips and something strange happens.
Look past the blinding lights and glamour, and footballers have much in common with the rest of us. Similar pressures, habits, routines and patterns play out in their lives just like they do in ours. In fact, you may be a lot more similar to your favourite player than you think. Not in terms of skill or ability of course, but in mindset, discipline and how you deal with challenges both on and off the pitch. Let’s look at some of the most striking commonalities in a little more detail.
The power of routine
Routine is one of the key elements of a footballer’s life. Training sessions, recovery, nutrition, rest — it’s all regimented to an extreme degree. That’s just the start as routines and structure show up in their lives all over the place.
The same is true for the rest of us. Whether it’s your nine-to-five job, your gym routine or family commitments, habits and structure are the secret to stability. Just like a footballer, most of us rely on a similar combination of daily habits to feel focused and on top of our game.
The difference, of course, is scale. The average player has 20-times more support staff and resources than the average person. However, at a basic level, strip away the stadium and trim the fanfare and footballers rely on routine in the same way we do.
Handling pressure in the moment
Picture a footballer with the weight of the world on their shoulders and a crowd of thousands roaring. They step up to take a penalty, and every movement and twitch is on full view. The pressure they face under the spotlight is intense.
Pressure in day-to-day life is similar. We aren’t suggesting that you show up to your job interview or sit through a presentation like you’re about to take a penalty in front of 50,000 fans, but the nerves, the rush and that feeling of needing to get it right can feel just as acute. This is often the case when doing anything competitive, like playing at the best UK poker sites with a licence — it’s a similar feeling when you can lose in an instant.
Players learn to cope with the stress through breathing, focusing on the task and trusting their preparation. The rest of us do the same, often without realising it. You steady yourself, talk yourself through it and push through because you need to do it.
Confidence isn’t constant
Footballers look so confident when they are scoring goals, tearing up the pitch and waving to the crowd after a match. Professional players ooze it.
Except, confidence is a fickle thing. Miss a chance or make a mistake, and suddenly that confidence drops away. It happens in an instant and you never feel quite like yourself again. You find your way back to belief through small steps, praise from your team or hours in training.
The same thing happens to us all. It’s not limited to the field of play. Confidence in your work life, or with a new skill or activity is equally mercurial. Most of us have our own little ways of tricking ourselves back into believing we can do something when our confidence is down.
The importance of team support
At their peak, no footballer is a one-man army. There’s an entire ecosystem of coaches, physios, sports scientists, analysts and teammates helping them perform, recover and improve.
The best players in the world are only ever as good as the people around them. They rely on their team to give them an edge, make them better and keep them going when their confidence wanes.
The same is true in the real world. The importance of a support network, be it friends, family, colleagues or a mentor is something most people can attest to. When things go wrong, having someone to talk to or confide in is one of the best antidotes.
The drive to improve
At the core of every footballer’s life is an unrelenting drive to excel. Players spend their entire careers constantly improving, up until the very last day they play.
What’s remarkable is how little this changes after a player makes it. As we all know, life-long learning and the desire to get better at something is one of the most endearing human qualities.
Whether it is learning a new language, a new sport, an instrument, navigating a new virtual reality headset, improving fitness, developing our self-confidence or chasing career progression, we all have an internal nudge in the right direction. The scale of the playing field might be different, but the urge to get better is the same.
Conclusion
While the grass may seem greener for professional footballers, most of us share more of their day-to-day reality than we might think. We all share routine, self-doubt, pressure, support networks, motivation, failure, public image, and of course, the constant drive to get better.
Strip away the large stadiums, the cameras, media and the social media clips, and professional footballers are just like the rest of us. In fact, understanding how the most successful players cope with similar pressures and handle familiar situations may make it a little easier to find your own way through.