The Sports Psychology Blog
This Sports Psychology blog comes as Gary Johnson, prepares his Bristol City team. for this Saturday's Championship play-off final, at Wembley Stadium.
Football: Gary Johnson - Believe!
''We've got to go into this match believing we can win it because losing is not an option," he said. Some will have us as underdogs, some will have us as favourites in their own minds but we've got to go into this match believing we're the favourites." Gary Johnson, speaking ahead of this week-ends play-off final, with Hull City.
Everything the City manager is saying here, is true. His players must believe, if they are to overcome Hull City. But, the problem is, it's not quite as straightforward as that. You cannot say, 'We must believe' and the players will do so automatically.
Belief is a quality, that is carefully built and nurtured over time. When belief is present, every cell in your body, knows and feels that victory can be accomplished. Doubt does not exist. The feeling runs deep. Belief is the crystallisation of sustained success.
To build belief for a Championship play-off final, a team must be able to project their minds into the promised land of the Premier League, and feel that they can thrive there. If they don't, or become subject to the Derby County effect, then belief cannot be maintained. Nagging doubts will prevail.
An individual player, may not know for certain, if they can make it at the higher level. But they can assay the team's collective strengths; the team-spirit; courage in adversity; camaraderie; togetherness; fortitude; desire; know-how; win-ability and draw belief from these qualities.
They must also be able, to project into playing at Wembley, and feel that they, or the team belong there. That, an appearance at the home of football, is a fitting tribute to the season and success the team has had.
Again, the team must assay the season, and draw strength from all the good things which have been achieved. Thus, the awe and aura of a trip to Wembley, must be equalled by the team's collective strengths and the season to date. The internal power must match the external focus.
Come a play-off final at Wembley, confidence is never enough. Simply because, you are entering the unknown. And when you enter the unknown, you need belief as your twelfth player. Belief creates the power, that makes an individual or collective breakthrough possible.
Belief builds the bridge, between where you are, and where you want to be. It doesn't guarantee success. But it guarantees, that you will not let the occasion get to you. And in a Wembley final, handling the occasion, is 2/3rd's the mental battle.
Bristol City, will have plenty of confidence on Saturday. But will they have the levels of belief, that will transform them, from a Championship side into a Premier League one?
Note: The Derby County Effect, is the fear and suspicion, that, like Derby County, you are going to fail to make the step up, into the Premier League.
