Bob Jones Girls Soccer took a different approach to the 2024 season. Coach Luke Oakley decided to not only focus on the technical and tactical side of the game but on the mental side as well. With the use of Roger Kitchen’s Power Mental Performance (PMP) program, the girls’ soccer team has learned many strategies to get to their mental best. Roger Kitchen taught us to focus on the process (each individual practice/play) instead of the outcome (wins and loses) because if our process is good the outcome will reflect it. He explained what we can and can’t control in the game. We learned the characteristics of a successful athlete and what sacrifices we need to make to reach both team and personal goals. And in our most recent session, he showed us breathing techniques to help change our mindset from a negative one, into a neutral one, and then into a positive one. “I was skeptical of the breathing techniques at first, but it has really helped me clear my mind after making a mistake,” Junior Caroline Kokan reflects on the session.
In previous years, the coaching staff tried different tactics to help grow their athletes’ mental toughness. But reading a motivational book didn’t work for our soccer program. We needed something personalized that wouldn’t be misinterpreted throughout the group. With PMP, we set goals as a team to ensure every player is working towards the same goals and holding the same standards. Junior Peyton Worden states, “I think making the goals together helped connect us so we play as a team instead of as individuals.” Now that everyone is on the same page we are able to hold one another accountable and give support when necessary.
Not only does PMP have multiple benefits to our soccer team currently, but these benefits can also lead into our future. In these sessions, we have been given ways we can deal with stress, think through problems, and help us to motivate ourselves to achieve our goals. PMP sessions have given us the skills needed to accomplish our goals, not only on the soccer field but outside it too. These skills that we have learned can help us in our careers to make the right decisions and push us forward to achieve greater things than we originally set out to be. Without PMP there could be instances where we aren’t able to properly deal with situations we have been faced with. Situations such as dealing with stress, working with unfavorable people, or making tough decisions. But luckily PMP has given us the skills needed to deal with those situations and help us in the future.
We are so excited to see what comes next in PMP and how it will help us with the rest of our season.
