Nick Humphries - Chasing the Dream | How to make it as a professional soccer player / footballer, Soccer Players Blog » motivation

Weekly Review 12th – 18th July

Nicky — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 20:48:23 +0000

So I just completed 43 hours of focused football work this week, sticking to the promise I made myself! Wow 6-7 hours a day everyday, mostly by yourself is difficult as your always constantly thinking of "ah.. I wondering what's happening on facebook" or "Fuck this! I need a break!". It's tough, especially when you're on summer holidays. Of course i'd love to relax a little more, but then again, my goal is to become signed to an academy within the next 12 months. I've made so much progress already, I cant stop now.

I feel like I am a good player now, that I feel has more potential that ever before. I feel quicker and more confident. Although I think this attitude that I've gained from practicing by myself needs to be tested against some decent players before I get ahead of myself.

This Week

I watched at least 100 youtube videos this week on highlights of different players, watching so many really puts the things you see into your own style of play which is improving my football brain I feel.

These are some of the things I took out of it:

When trying to receive a through ball, make a run with the ball carrier in mind and the position of his nearest defender, so he can slot a clean ball through.
On the counter attack , you cannot delay with the ball because defence and mid are getting back as fast as possible. Wrote this because of selfish Pedro at the end of Holland – Uruguay semi.
Fake one way, step next to the ball with one foot, take another step to fake direction while taking ball away in the opposite direction with other foot.
When defending, if you think a pass will come near the defending line you're in, move up and block the pass that might occur, very good tactic if you don't have anyone to mark.
Van Persie trademark is cutting inside and outside on the edge of the box to get a cross or shot in.
Elia fakes shot, and rolls ball with sole – just another variation of a fake.
Before making a dribble, Ronaldo may drag ball with sole of foot and that way it is easier to trick defenders because you create the speed of the ball.

So another 20 hours next week, cool!

What’s My Motivation?

Nicky — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 20:17:08 +0000

I think there comes a time in every successful person’s life when they ask what the purpose of their goal will do for them and others. I’ve asked myself the same question this weekend. I haven’t felt motivated to eat right, to train more and get up early in the mornings and do extra stuff at the gym or at home. In the game this weekend I didn’t feel as though I gave it my all because the motivation wasn’t there. That’s why i’m asking myself now.. what’s my motivation?

I’m thinking about it, and I know that ultimately, being a professional sports athlete (especially a footballer) would be an hugely rewarding and unforgettable experience that only a few people in the world being in the position would experience. What would it mean for me?

The Difference between being a businessman and a footballer is that in football you acheive goals as a team. In business you are only one person to do something, an entrepreneur to acheive something. In a team, people who have worked extremely hard everyone is fighting for one thing that affects the lives of others in joy and celebration. You are judged by what you have done. If i’m a great footballer than billions will listen because fans relate more. If i’m a great businessman than only millions will listen. Billions will change the world. Millions will not.

This is my Ultimate Footballers Experience:

Luxury

- Private Planes

- Luxury Hotels

- Finest Facilities in the World

Life

- To be apart and relate to things that only a few people in the world could ever experience as comes with playing in a world class team.

- Thousands of hours of work defined in a moment of amazing and mesmorising joy that is experienced with the millions of fans around you.

- Prove to myself, that I myself is the only obstacle to achieving my dreams.

Others

- Affecting the lives of tens of millions of people for the better, by helping them acheive a goal that is talked about forever. Whether that is winning the champions league or world cup.

- To be seen as simply a man who had dreams and became successful by acheiving those dreams.

- Football is the world’s game. Billions of people watch and support the sport and that is something that cannot be questioned. I, becoming the worlds figure of success and changing the world into a success oriented place communicating through the medium of football. Where people will be happier and more successful themselves.

These quotes are by champions and remind to keep on track of my goal:

Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever – Lance Armstrong

Every single day I wake up and commit to myself to becoming a better player. Mia Hamm

Pele called me the greatest footballer in the world. That is the ultimate salute to my life. Pele.

The vision of a champion is someone who is bent over, drenched in sweat, at the point of exhaustion, when no one else is watching.

Pain is weakness leaving your body. USMC.

If I am still standing at the end of the race, hit me with a board and knock me down, because that means I didn’t run hard enough.

I played a game against Borats kids

Nicky — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:46:30 +0000

Hallo my name a borat.

No. Anyway today in training we played against some random group of orphans (gypsy kids) from the countryside who randomly came to play our team. They were shit, but anyway we won a 8 vs 8 game like 3-1. I scored one (it was kinda like rooney’s goal against Tottenham if you saw it), but I lost the ball a couple of times and this really pisses me off as my aim is not to lose a ball at all in a game, yet I lost a few against crappy 13-14 year old kids who are not even a proper team. Fuck. My aim to be pro, when I do crap like this it has a hit on my confidence.

What pisses me off more is that we had a shooting drill where we dribble the ball from about 25m out and we take a shot from about 20m from goal. Now shooting from long range is like my best skill asset, i’ve practiced it for years and I can pull off some good powerful, accurate goals. Now when i’m by myself at the oval and I practice this it makes me pissed even when I score down the middle of the goal because a keeper can easily save it, now you can imagine when I keep missing the goal in this drill, the coach gets pissed and other people score more than me how guttered you can be… maybe it’s the shit hard, field, ditchy , hole we play on and the hard, fully pumped up balls we play with is why my true skill doesn’t show but still.. fuck!

I guess all I can do is use today as motivation to do better.