The One of the most common things parents tell me is:
“I don't understand it. In training they are brilliant, but in matches they're a completely different player.”
They see their child doing things in training that they know they are capable of.
Asking for the ball. Taking players on. Playing forward. Trying things without worrying.
Then matchday comes and something changes.
They play safe.
They get rid of the ball quickly.
They stop taking risks.
One mistake affects the next five minutes.
And parents naturally start thinking:
Do they need more training?
But more training isn't always the answer.
They haven't lost their ability
If your child can consistently show a skill in training, the ability doesn't suddenly disappear on matchday.
What changes is the environment.
Matches bring consequences.
The result matters.
The coach is watching.
Parents are watching.
They might worry about being substituted or making a mistake.
And suddenly their brain becomes much busier.
Instead of simply playing, they might be thinking:
“Don't lose the ball.”
“I need to play well today.”
“What if I make another mistake?”
“What will my coach think?”
In my work with young players, I often describe these thoughts as interference.
The player still has the potential, but something is getting in the way of them showing it.
More training isn't always the solution
Technical training is important.
The more comfortable players become with their technical skills, the easier it can be to execute those skills under pressure. That's something I talk about in my parent guide as an important part of developing confidence.
But we also have to understand what the actual problem is.
If your child can't perform the skill in training, they may need more practice.
But what if they can do it?
What if the problem only appears when there's pressure, mistakes or consequences?
Another technical session might not address what's actually holding them back.
They may need to train something different.
The mental side of their game.
Players can learn to manage the interference
Young footballers can learn how to recognise negative thoughts.
They can learn how to respond to mistakes.
They can learn how to focus their attention on what's happening now rather than worrying about what might happen next.
They can also learn how to take brave actions even when they're nervous.
These are skills.
And just like passing, dribbling or shooting, they need practice.
My player's guide starts with this exact idea: football isn't only a physical game. How a young player thinks and feels can have a significant impact on how they actually play.
That's why I created The Confidence Academy
I created The Confidence Academy because I kept seeing talented young footballers who didn't necessarily need more ability.
They needed help showing the ability they already had.
Every week, we train the mental side of football.
We work on confidence, overthinking, mistakes, pressure, focus and the thoughts that can interfere with performance.
Because sometimes the question isn't:
“How do we make my child a better footballer?”
It's:
“How do we help them show the footballer they already are?”