Blog Archives

‘Win at all costs’ a recipe for failure

Coaching young athletes to enjoy their development rather than focusing on winning at all costs reduces the risk of burnout, according to research. Victoria University Institute of Sport, Exercise & Active Living researcher Thomas Curran said athletes’ passion for their sport took

Tagged with: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Football, Science General, Sport Science

Does Empathy Score in Football?

When you need to perform, emotions either help you, or they throw a spanner in the works. Just ask Arjen Robben who missed a penalty in the final of the Champions League in May. Dr. Gert-Jan Pepping, a researcher at the

Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Football, My own research, Science General, Sport Science

How to end England’s (or anyone else’s) shootout nightmare

For the 6th time since 1990, the British football team has been knocked out of a major tournament by losing the decisive penalty shootout. In the quarter-finals of Euro 2012 against Italy last Sunday, England seemed to finally put an

Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Football, My own research, Science General, Sport Science

Mental Pressure in Football

As a football player you have to be able to deal with pressure. The worst is the mental pressure in an important match. What exactly is the impact of mental stress on your sports performance – and on the performance of your teammates? Researchers of the University of Groningen and the professional football

Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Experimental Psychology, Football, My own research, Sport Science

On the importance of positive emotions and sharing goals in football penalty shootouts

Emotional contagion is an important process to consider in the context of elite sport performance and training. A talk at 13th FEPSAC European Congress of Sport Psychology July 2011 on Madeira, Portugal. Research has shown that teams that show more positive and team

Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Football, My own research, Sport Science

Performing Under Pressure in Elite Football

Watch Geir Jordet present a nice overview of research on performing under pressure in elite football. Geir shows how high ego, ego threat, and emotional distress can lead to self regulation failure, that is, missed penalties in footbal. He also

Tagged with: , , , , ,
Posted in Football, My own research, Sport Science