The Fear of Failure in Youth Soccer Football. 
18th December 2011

People who achieve the most in this world do things a little differently to everyone else; successful football players who take risks, are much more likely to leave their comfort and gamble with the ball and their position than everyone else.

Doing this however means they fail more often and are more likely to make mistakes, though successful players learn from their mistakes and failures, and turn them into a positive and are motivated by them.

Today's society teaches us that mistakes and failures are bad, which we should be embarrassed about, and is something that should not happen. This attitude forces young footballers to develop a fear of failure.

Having a fear for failure will prevent a young footballer from progressing or trying new things. They will only do things they know they can in a match, and will not want the ball in case they lose it.

Often if you watch a young player boot the ball away, when they have time and space to control it, this might indicate they are too scared to lose it and they are frightened to give the ball away. This shows a fear of failure from the young player.

It is important for parents and coaches to remember that a child doesn't learn to ride a bike without wobbling on the bike, giving them a learning experience of having to overcome the fear of falling off.

The same process occurs when anyone tries something new for the first time, they have to overcome their fears.

When a young footballer makes a mistake or gets something wrong, it provides them with a chance to learn and improve.

 Each time a player makes a mistake their mind and body takes in information, remembering what went wrong, and the next time they are confronted with that situation they must do something differently if they want a different outcome.

Each and every time your players make mistakes or positively takes a risk, they are learning and they are one step closer to being the player you would like the to be.

If you can rid them of the fear of failure and make them believe that getting things wrong is part of the learning process, then  you will have succeeded.

The next time you see one of your players make a mistake, don't shout or moan at them because of the error, praise them for trying, and next time you might be surprised.

Further Reading:

• The FA's Youth Masterplan

• FA Small Sided Football Guide

• FA Coaching Badges