i dont know what to say maybe its just me but i have played soccer non stop from my freshman year till presently my senior year and i live in NJ so weather get really cold... and as of 2 months ago i feel that i have gotten worse like I play bad all the time things dont go my way..is it a phase many go thru?. my dribles and feints dont work as good as they used too ...my confidence in my game is really low...as soon as i mess up like 3 times my game is really low...last year i felt that i was really good...this year i feel tired...and last week i pulled my muscle but very minor and the next day i still went to go play ..but i feel just tired....have any of u guys felt this way? any suggestions? is it a normal phase? and lately i have a pain in my upper shin that wont go away it hurts but i stil play...maybe shin splints
Im only a sophmore, but im just now pulling myself out of my slump. its a phase, which im surprised you havnt been in before. Just now and then your just not in it. You just gotta fight through and keep playing.
I agree that this kind of feeling is common - and in all kinds of activities, not just soccer. You might try changing the nature of the game, such as joining a regular pickup or indoor soccer game with a different set of people and different styles of play. You can also try taking an extended break, although at your level of play it might cause other problems. I wouldn't keep playing on a persistent injury - take a rest or see a doctor.
My son went through this in the fall with his high school team. He was swinging between JV and Varsity and was doing AWESOME in varsity games helping control the offence, setting up several great goals etc. Suddenly he stopped having any effect. He was burned out. He was playing 6-8 games a week, sometimes 2 a day between playing on both teams. He was no longer looking forward to soccer, just wanted it to end, he was tired and burned out. Two weeks after it ended he was dieing to get back on the field.
I'm sure there are some physical aspects concerning fatigue and just general wear of the body, but I've been there before. Personally for me, I feel it is more of a mental thing. I just get bored of repetition and the same activity over and over again. During times like that, I mix things up by playing basketball or tackle football. I still keep my touch maintained by doing some dribbling and juggling every once in a while or some pick up, but focus on other sports. Sometimes different sports can help you're soccer when they certain skills are integrated into your game (Football made me a lot more tougher for defense in soccer). Then after a week or two, I return to soccer. Usually the first few days back, I feel good and refreshed. Try it out. It may work it may not, but sometimes change is a good thing, keeps the brain stimulated.
Since you said that you also pulled a muscle, something that had never happened to you before, you should definitely consider taking a few weeks off of football. There is such a thing as "too much soccer", and it can have both mental and physical consequences, so always make sure to get enough rest.
And if you do take time off you'll find you'll come back so refreshed and ready to go again. I hadn't kicked a ball for 2 weeks over Christmas and just before Xmas i was more into swimming. But now im back with football and im feeling good with it. Little things that bugged me about it before, im enjoying again. And i think doing that different kind of exercise has helped my fitness. appleCORR
Thats true .... But, if you play too much sometimes it can drain you mentally and physically and you do need to take a little break from it to get back to your best. I know that when i haven't kicked a ball for a few days, or if i am forced to take a break due to work, then im itching to get out there with the ball and i feel i play better. appleCORR