Having that “next play attitude” is a saying that University of Utah soccer head coach Rich Manning and his players live by. Manning believes soccer is not a game of perfection, and despite what might have happened in a past match or previous play, he know the importance of teaching his team to shake it off and move forward — to not dwell on the positives or the negatives for too long.
There are plenty of factors that can influence a team’s mentality. Referees, certain calls and intense surroundings are among the list of obstacles that can affect how a team performs. But for Utah, keeping that moving on type of mentality, no matter what is thrown at it, is key to helping it learn, grow and be successful. Preparing to become mentally strong takes practice and discipline, and Utah has learned ways to overcome obstacles to make itself stronger.
“Before we played BYU, we had a practice where we had giant speakers surrounding the field of BYU fans,” said sophomore Tavia Leachman. “We had a recording of them basically screaming, so I’d say we prepare pretty well for that kind of stuff.”
Freshman Natalie Kump said the season is tough and a grind, but her and her team continue to truck along while keeping their heads high, no matter how mentally — and physically — tired they feel. It’s not always a smooth ride, but the thrill that comes with competing is something Utah thrives off of.
“Soccer is definitely mentally challenging in the spring — in the offseason,” Leachman said. “I would say that alone in those months, it really tests our mental aspect of the game. It’s hard when we don’t have a bunch of games every weekend and we are up at six in the morning to run and lift weights, but it’s all worth it. It’s something that’s hard in the moment, but after we are done, we feel great about it.”
Trying to keep a positive attitude while pushing each other when things are challenging helps the team mesh together. It’s all about the grind for the Utes. The players have shown Manning that’s what they’re about, and he’s learned that they won’t let anything stand between them and their goals.
“During practice we talk a lot about competing with each other to prepare and sharpen each other up for the game,” Manning said. “Sometimes, we put the players in situations that maybe are almost unfair where the other team has more players or the ref is making bad calls against them, just setting the mindset that they need to be determined because really, that’s what our sport is about.”
Leachman sees grit in her team, on and off the field. That’s something she believes Utah uses to prove doubters wrong. That characteristic blends in with having an attitude and mindset focused on looking ahead and helping each other along the way.
“If someone seems down or really stressed out or has a lot of personal stuff going on, we are all pretty positive with each other,” Leachman said. “We just remind them that practice is sometimes going to be hard and they are going to feel drained, and their mentality isn’t going to be the best its been on previous days, but they will always have teammates that will pick them right back up.”
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