Have you ever noticed that there are some players whose performance in practice is fantastic, but they don’t contribute at the moment of the game? There are also players who do not seem motivated in practice, but are extremely effective during the game. Why is this?
I think it has to do with psychology. Some players are very comfortable with the practice environment, because they know the players around them. There is an element of security and familiarity that is not present on game day. Some players also suffer from performance anxiety, so they think too much about the outcome and not enough about the task at hand.
It is also common for players to have mental blocks, which is why they associate failure with certain scenarios. These players usually get stressed after a mistake and it takes a long time for them to recover. Some never do and their performance deteriorates as the game progresses.
Then we have the player who goes through practice and is your best player on Saturday. This is also a psychological problem. This player loves a challenge and rises to the occasion on match day. He is confident and wants to show himself and opponents that he can play. This player is not motivated in training because he has a wrong interpretation of his purpose. For them it is just practice and they do not see the need to do everything possible against their teammates.
There is a catch with both players. The player who works in practice, but cannot translate this into game time, has to overcome his personal fears. This takes time and experience. Some coaches have no patience and these players are left out. Especially at the highest levels. I know you are thinking how a player with the skill does not translate it into the game. Well, here is a possible reason. This player may have played for a coach when he was very young who highlighted the results … a screamer. This coach probably took players out every time they made a mistake and never offered a solution.
The player of the game is not really better in the long run because he is never in top form. Training habits start to catch up with them, as their talent alone won’t take them to the next level. Training habits and discipline are the key to success, so unless this player gains an appreciation for intangibles, he will also be left out eventually.
How do you create this type of player? Here is another possibility. They were always physically gifted and the team relied heavily on them to be successful when they were younger. He never had to strain in practice because they were way ahead of the pack, so it was acceptable to the coach. This player played the entire game and was the focus of the team. They gave him the ball at all times regardless of the result.
Obviously this player gained tremendous confidence, due to the treatment received by the coaching staff. The sad thing is that when these players become part of a team where everyone is treated equally and expected to work at all times, they sometimes fail. Now they have to perform a clarified function in practice (an environment that they have never taken seriously) and the game no longer revolves around them.