A MENTALITY TO "BE" WINNERS by FILIPPO INZAGHI (Part 1) (Patreon)

The Sense:

Experience and knowledge are the foundation of any professional activity. Both are essential for success because without one, the expression and capabilities of a person would be limited. Our individual growth occurs through exchange and confrontation with others. Awareness of our personal values and ideas allows for the proper analysis of received information, and the intelligent processing of it enables a qualitative choice relevant to our own reality. To stay up-to-date in a world accelerated by science and technology, the process of learning must be continuous. In fact, now, with the awareness of embarking on a new 'journey' that has nothing to do with the one undertaken as a player, having attended this Master's program, my first coaching experience, I realize how many things are necessary to be a good coach. Leading a group, establishing individual relationships, planning and organizing, handling criticism, managing successes and failures, mediating conflicts, caring for internal and external communication, in addition to specific technical competencies, and so on.

The challenge is to "be" coaches, not just to "do" coaching. However, since it's the same challenge I faced as a player, the priority becomes how to transmit my mentality and professionalism to the players. I believe that the difference and quality in a profession lie in the 'how' rather than just the 'what' and 'how much' you do. That's why in this paper, I will speak in the first person because I believe it's right to address the topic of the title through personal knowledge, as the coach must be a researcher and theorize based on lived experience.

It's my belief that starting with the formation of a mentality is fundamental and serves as the basis for structuring work within a team and group. The leitmotif of being winning coaches, which will be the underlying theme throughout this paper, stems from an analysis of my experience as a player. I had many coaches, and the ones I remember the most are those who presented themselves as masters, those who instilled values and a mentality in me, and above all, those who proved their worth as individuals.

Socrates said, 'The mediocre teacher tells, the good teacher explains, the superior teacher demonstrates, and the great teacher inspires.'

The coach, at every level, must now consider themselves a teacher, an educator, and their example will create the right mentality.

1. THE PEDAGOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF A SUCCESSFUL COACH:

I initially delved into the theoretical aspects of educational and training sciences, with reference to a successful coach. Based on the premise, I believe that the characteristics that modern pedagogy outlines for a teacher are adaptable and optimizable for a coach.

A COACH MUST...

• Know: possess knowledge, awareness of the purposes, meaning, and goals of the activity they undertake. Understand football and its principles and continuously update their knowledge. Besides technical and tactical skills, the coach must also keep themselves informed and updated on various aspects such as physical, psychopedagogical, medical, and nutritional. If you don't know what you're transmitting?
• Be able to do: have professionalism and experience with the means; they should be able to translate knowledge and culture into practice. For example, being able to plan, organize, and effectively conduct training sessions. If you don't know how to do it, how can you transmit it?
• Be able to give: in all areas of interpersonal human relationships, in the exchange of information, in the ability to transmit and the essential skill of "knowing how to give attention" and "knowing how to be in the relationship." If you don't know how to give, how, what, and why are you communicating?
• Have value: possess personality and values to transmit; the coach sets an example for the entire team and staff, and especially influences their behaviors. Without this characteristic, knowledge and know-how would have no effectiveness. If you are not authentic, how do you demonstrate what and how to do things?

These characteristics must be translated into a "know-how to make others do" through the ability to delegate and manage a group, particularly with the use of a purposeful, functional, and appropriate methodology.

2. THE PSYCHOLOGY OF SUCCESS:

I continued my research into the writings of some psychologists who have been interested in applying their specific knowledge and skills to sports, using systemic, social, or NLP approaches, etc. Summarizing some concepts from various authors, it can be said that there is a very close relationship between PSYCHOLOGY and SUCCESS, and in fact, the very essence of success seems to be psychology itself. The purpose of psychology is fundamentally to improve the capacity to love (particularly in a couple relationship), the ability to work (in our case, to play football), and the ability to have social relationships (in our case, to thrive in a group).

Success can be defined as "a favorable or advantageous result or end of any action undertaken." No one, especially those who live in contact with people or athletes who achieve success and understand their systems, can deny that their mental qualities have a direct relationship with their achievements. Certain mental qualities produce direct or indirect, positive or negative results. When we try to explain the unsatisfactory results of a human being, we often refer to some mental traits that we believe hindered their success or personality difficulties that contributed to their failure. The same rule can be applied to those who consider themselves "lucky"; however, the exact mental influence may not appear so readily, as most "unfortunate" individuals lack essential mental qualities and thus have difficulty recognizing positive qualities in others while readily identifying negative traits familiar to them. While it is undoubtedly true that in some cases, external circumstances favor or greatly contribute to an individual's success or failure, it is also true that individuals with certain mental characteristics can often transform failure into success or, at the very least, make efforts to remedy their mistakes. They also recognize success when it presents itself and take advantage of such opportunities. Similarly, the absence of certain mental capacities will hinder an individual from seizing favorable opportunities and recovering after a setback. Therefore, the mind, or rather, the mental qualities of a person, are the sole and real essence of their success or failure. In this context, luck does not exist; our "luck" is the development of our abilities and relationships to the highest possible degree. If there is one point on which psychology continually insists, it is that every individual can change, modify, alter, develop, or strengthen their own mental faculties and qualities in a specific field. While it is true that each person is born with tendencies towards a certain direction and with some faculties more developed than others, it is also true that by following certain practical and well-established systems based on solid psychological principles, it is possible, through willpower, application, and tenacity, to develop any mental faculty while restraining attitudes that can prove harmful. Moreover, it enhances qualities typical of "lucky" or successful individuals: curiosity, attention to unexpected phenomena, and intellectual flexibility.

Most of us recognize weaknesses in our personalities that we would like to overcome or lack certain qualities that we would like to acquire. However, many of them completely ignore the principles and systems that can limit these harmful qualities and develop the good ones. Even those who are aware of their weaknesses probably do not have the extensive knowledge necessary to possess a fully developed set of positive mental attributes, known to scientific psychologists through their investigations, research, and observations.

In particular, sports psychology aims to support athletes in facing increasingly stressful and anxiety-inducing competitions and training sessions. No athlete is a robot; it is challenging to maintain good psychological well-being throughout a championship where winning is always a must. Therefore, mental training is an essential part of comprehensive training, and the coach should acquire skills in this area regardless.

3. THE MECHANISM OF SUCCESS:

Every living being has an inherent guiding system that tends towards a purpose, which, in general, is to live. In humans, living is not merely survival; it involves satisfying physical, emotional, and mental needs: finding solutions to problems, inventing, writing poetry, running a company, improving sports performance, exploring new horizons in science, achieving inner peace, developing a better personality, and attaining success...

Besides being creatures, humans are also creators, and with their creative imagination, they can set various goals for themselves. The faculty of imagination is the great source of human activity, the main source of improvement. One can imagine their own future. All the brain does is choose a purpose and turn it into action through desire. Once a satisfactory or correct response is achieved, it is remembered for the future. The mind then brings this satisfying response to future cases. It has learned to provide accurate responses, remembering successes and forgetting failures, repeating the exact and satisfying action without further conscious thought, almost like a habit. Often, the player intuitively knows what to do: it is their internal mechanism that performs these calculations for them, derived from the data provided through optical and auditory centers. If there is a deep desire, the creative mechanism begins to work, and the internal analyzer, spoken of earlier, starts exploring already assimilated notions, feeling its way towards an answer, selecting an idea here, a fact there, a series of previous experiences, connecting them together to form a meaningful whole that completes the situation, the equation, solves the problem, or the sporting action. When this solution presents itself to consciousness, often unexpectedly, something clicks, and the sought-after response is immediately recognized.

Even success can be shaped and formed:

1. The mechanism for success must have a purpose or goal, either already existing or discovering a new one. (MEANING)
2. The automatic mechanism operates or should be oriented towards end results; the means will often come into play automatically. (FUNCTIONAL TRAINING)
3. Do not be afraid of making mistakes or facing temporary failures; the mind achieves a goal by moving forward and backward, making mistakes, and immediately correcting itself. (TRAINING ON ERRORS AND THEIR ANALYSIS)
4. Skill is acquired through experiences and mistakes, mentally correcting the target if an error is made, until one acts successfully; after that, there is the possibility of acquiring further options and achieving continuous success by forgetting past errors and remembering successes, so they can be imitated. (CORRECTION)
5. One can learn to have confidence in the functioning of the creative mechanism without blocking it, worrying too much, or becoming too anxious about whether it will work or not, or trying to force it with overly conscious actions. It can be allowed to work rather than forced to work. Such trust is necessary because the mechanism operates below the level of consciousness, and one cannot "know" what is happening beneath the surface. Moreover, its nature is to act spontaneously and in accordance with the needs of the moment; therefore, a guarantee cannot be obtained in advance. It will start functioning when one acts and when actions require it. (SITUATION SETTING)

Everything we do in life offers the opportunity to consider ourselves winners. We can learn from every experience, using them to derive growth. Everyone can emerge from an activity as a winner, with the opportunity to gain additional expertise in that specific activity. Such a positive attitude reduces the feeling of fatigue, and even "resistance" to training work appears later. Anything that hinders growth is not worth defending, and thinking that one has "arrived" is risky because letting go makes us more vulnerable, and opponents can gain the upper hand due to this drop in tone. To achieve inner success and then external success, strength and pride are necessary, not self-harm. "You can win 100% of the time if you can develop":

1. Positive FEELINGS, which will lead you to...
2. new ways of THINKING, which will bring you to...
3. new ways of BEHAVING.

Every emotion has its function and can help you. To achieve autonomy and freedom in life, you must learn to master your emotions, taking full responsibility for them. It is much wiser to accept responsibility for the feelings you experience rather than attributing all responsibility to luck, character, or the coach.

In a competition between you and your opponents, your emotional state will determine your efficiency. Your ability to become a winner full-time depends on your willingness to think in winning patterns, working to eliminate losing images that you carry from previous stages of your life. This means GROWTH even in situations where you do not achieve your goals."

This interesting table, elaborated by Prof. Bonfanti, highlights the differences between a winner and a loser:

A recent and in-depth psychological study carried out on successful coaches allowed the systematization and measurement of a profile (areas of competence) that characterizes their professional activity.

In particular, successful coaches:

1. Know how to plan their work
2. Know how to manage both the group and individuals on a psychological level
3. Know how to develop a suitable game organization
4. Know how to work on the errors that emerge during matches
5. Know how to manage relationships with staff, colleagues, and superiors
6. Know how to delegate tasks to other members of the staff
7. Know how to maintain high motivation in all members of the group
8. Know how to handle difficult moments and defeats
9. Know how to manage pre-match, during the match, and post-match situations differently
10. Know how to manage the scheduling of physical workload in relation to the results.

What intrigued researchers was understanding why coaches, sometimes so different in cognitive characteristics, behavior, and image, could still be equally efficient in achieving results, apparently through different paths.

Studies in this regard identified two characteristics or VARIABLES that, regardless of the coaches' personalities and "styles," distinguish them as winners. These two variables are the "real matrix" that determines whether they achieve the competencies and standards of the ideal coach profile:

4. INTERNAL LOCUS OF CONTROL:

In psychological terms, we refer to a person's beliefs about the control they have over events in their life using the concept of "Locus of control," which can be translated as the "location of control."

In particular, those who believe they can exert control over the events in their life and feel that their efforts, commitment, and abilities can determine what happens to them are referred to as individuals with an internal locus of control.

On the other hand, individuals who perceive that they have no control over their life situation and believe that events are determined by external forces such as luck, fate, the influence of significant and powerful others, are referred to as individuals with an external locus of control.

In reality, there is not such a clear distinction between individuals. Indeed, although there is a tendency for each individual towards an internal or external locus of control, it is very rare for these two tendencies to be expressed in an extreme way. In this sense, people with a tendency towards an external locus of control do not always underestimate their ability to control life events, and people with a tendency towards an internal locus of control do not always believe they can control all events that happen to them. Much also depends on the circumstances, expectations, and the event that the individual must face.

In any case, believing that one can control events or believing that one cannot exert any kind of control leads to different attitudes and behaviors that may be more or less functional to achieving one's goals.

In the first case, the individual's attitude towards life events will be less resigned and more determined in seeking to achieve objectives and goals that they perceive to fall under their control; the individual will feel more responsible for their actions and will have a greater chance of success (internal locus of control).

In the second case, the attitude will be more passive towards life events, and the individual will presumably be more inclined to accept events even when they could intervene effectively to modify them (external locus of control).

Moreover, from an interpersonal relationship perspective, scientific studies have shown that possessing an internal locus of control is more active than an external one. It has been observed that the perception of being mostly controlled by powerful individuals often accompanies a feeling of distrust in others, while, conversely, a behavior of attention and assistance towards others seems to be characteristic of individuals with an internal locus of control.

It has been observed that where there is a perception of control, or the potential for control over events, it is easier to cope with stress appropriately. However, it should not be overlooked that the opposite orientation, in some circumstances, may also have some utility. For example, in situations of unexpected failure, the ability to attribute blame to external sources, rather than solely to oneself, can be a means that, in the short term, allows the individual to mitigate the impact of the negative experience. In any case, it is important to emphasize that this type of defense is functional if "taken in small doses." In fact, if used constantly, it could lead to a sort of habituation, whereby the individual may remain in a state of passivity rather than implementing behavioral solutions capable of modifying the negative situation they are facing.

The locus of control (LoC) is, therefore, a psychological variable that indicates the degree of perception regarding control over one's destiny and events.

An "external" LoC predominantly attributes control over what happens to fate or to others. On the other hand, an "internal" LoC sees the individual much more inclined to consider destiny as an effect of their actions and therefore a "modifiable" variable.

In other words, the locus of control represents the mental attitude with which we feel capable of determining our actions and their related outcomes, in comparison to the control exercised by chance and external circumstances, and this is what I prefer.

The LoC is also linked to personal competitiveness. An external LoC generates a vicious circle of disorganization and abandonment, a lived experience permeated by a sense of victimization and powerlessness that degenerates into self-defeat. This experience reinforces the external LoC, creating a perverse mechanism of feedback and loss of competitive spirit, a mechanism of the type "I knew I wouldn't make it, it was better not to even try, etc."

On the contrary, personal competitiveness requires the assumption of an active relationship towards destiny. Setting goals, perhaps ambitious and challenging, or simple and minimal, and asking oneself which lines of action to set to achieve them, constitutes an excellent starting point for the achievement of personal competitiveness. Achieving small goals is a prerequisite for aiming higher.

5. 'SENSE OF SELF-EFFICACY':

Usually, people try to exert control over life events, influencing them so that desired outcomes occur and undesired ones do not. This element characterizes almost all human actions, as it produces the dual advantage of making events "predictable" and facing them "prepared." Since the inability to exert influence over events creates anxiety, it becomes evident that the ability to favor desirable events while preventing undesirable ones is a powerful incentive towards the capacity for control. A strong sense of efficacy promotes the achievement of one's goals in managing a results-oriented group (performance).

It has been observed that people's motivation, affective states, and behaviors are based more on their beliefs than on objective reality. Therefore, research has been conducted on the beliefs people have regarding their ability to produce certain effects. Self-efficacy derives from the belief that one has about their capabilities to perform actions necessary for adequately managing situations to achieve predetermined and desirable outcomes. These beliefs significantly influence how people think, feel, act, and particularly affect their motivation. The beliefs of efficacy originate from four main sources:

1. Self-efficacy and motivation processes (having intrinsic motivation and knowing how to motivate others): Beliefs of efficacy regulate the quantity and quality of motivation. Those who consider themselves effective attribute failures to insufficient effort or adverse circumstances, while those who consider themselves ineffective tend to attribute failure to personal incapacity. Motivation is also regulated by the expectation that a certain series of behaviors will produce certain results and the value attributed to them. People act not only based on the expected probable results but also on their beliefs about what they can do. In this way, motivation is still governed by beliefs of efficacy. There is a high number of alternatives that are not considered because individuals do not judge them within their reach. Well-defined and stimulating goals increase and maintain high levels of motivation. By linking their satisfaction to the achievement of the predetermined standard, people establish the direction of their behavior and create incentives to persist in their efforts until the goal is achieved. In this type of action, the evaluation of one's performance and the reactions derived from it, whether satisfaction or dissatisfaction, are crucial. The perceived self-efficacy during the process of achieving the goal assumes great importance, as well as the possible redefinition of objectives based on progress made.

2. Self-efficacy and affective-emotional processes (facing difficulties and building relationships, self-confidence in oneself and others): Beliefs of efficacy support motivation in many ways. They determine the chosen objectives, the amount of effort, perseverance in the face of difficulties, and the ability to recover from failures. Those who lack confidence in their capabilities reduce or give up effort when faced with an obstacle or failure, instead of increasing their efforts. Beliefs about one's ability to effectively manage things also determine the amount of tension and depression experienced in particularly challenging situations. 

Some of the main dynamics are highlighted here:

a) (facing and wanting to overcome difficulties): People who consider potential threats "unmanageable" see many threats in their environment and tend to amplify the severity even of events that rarely happen. All this diminishes their ability to function well as they experience debilitating patterns. However, if their efficacy is increased through a series of guided experiences that allow them to successfully confront threatening events, their level of anxiety decreases.

b) (stop negative thinking): People live with self-produced thoughts all the time, and controlling these "mental rumination" is a way to modulate the onset of anxiety and depression due to both the frequency of debilitating thoughts and the inability to interrupt them.

c) (tenaciously face difficulties): It is possible to reduce anxiety by promoting behaviors that can transform the environment from threatening to safe. Beliefs of efficacy act on concrete behavior and increase to the extent that people are vigorous in facing stressful aspects, which leads to success.

d) (defining achievable goals): Frustrated aspirations lead to depression. This happens when a person sets goals and standards that are unattainable and invests much energy in obtaining only failure.

e) (socializing and relating): Low self-esteem regarding the ability to create social relationships has particularly harmful effects because this aspect constitutes a source of satisfaction in life and buffers chronic stressors.

f) (knowing one's own worth): A sense of low self-efficacy regarding the ability to procure what brings self-satisfaction leads to depression, which, in turn, has a negative impact on self-esteem.

3. Self-efficacy and choice processes (making choices): People are partly the product of the environment in which they live, and self-esteem can determine the activities they undertake and the areas they choose to access. In this way, each person shapes their own destiny by avoiding those environments that they consider beyond their management capabilities. Choices made cultivate different types of competencies, interests, and social relationships, thus creating the existential path. Influencing choices means deeply intervening in personal development. Beliefs of self-efficacy are not the result of presumption but the product of a complex self-persuasion process based on the elaboration of information acquired through action, the influence of others, and the interpretation of certain processes. Once formed, these beliefs contribute significantly to the quality of human functioning. An optimistic sense of efficacy develops a positive self-performance, produces psychological well-being, and transforms reality through a considerable and enduring commitment of energy. Therefore, it is not surprising that investigations have shown that people who have achieved prestigious positions in their field possess an inexhaustible sense of efficacy and a firm belief in the value of their abilities.

4. Evolutionary analysis of self-efficacy beliefs (controlling processes): The belief in control is the subjective representation of one's ability to exert control, how one perceives their ability to manage events. It is essential to examine this mental construct as a learning modality for the following reasons:

i) It is a basic requirement for regulating actions directed at achieving certain objectives.

ii) It is an important part of the concept of self and largely determines self-esteem or depression. 

Establishing a belief in control requires objectively observing effects. It is a development that begins and forms from childhood. In adulthood, people derive a significant portion of their self-esteem from the control they think they have over particular events, and they often realize that they should have more control than they can exercise. All of this produces stress because it necessitates making difficult choices, often due to a strong sense of personal responsibility.

6. PHILOSOPHIES AND COLLEAGUES' EXPERIENCES:

Many coaches have imparted philosophies and mindsets related to success to me. The analysis of Montali, who is often invited by many companies to do coaching, concerning the theories on success already expressed, is very interesting. According to Montali, the coach is the one who commands, who makes choices, the one who guides people and has strong charisma; the leader, also from the etymological meaning of the term (chief). To achieve a winning mentality, the following are needed:

1. EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION: At the foundation of every relationship, there must be good communication: the leader must always be direct, immediate, and clear with each team member. Everyone should know what they need to do and what their roles entail, without confusion.
2. HUMAN RESOURCES: Montali defines them as the added value. Any project can achieve its goals only through successful intra-group relationships: people should not play against each other but rather play together towards a common goal. To avoid experiencing failure, a team spirit must be created. Human resources are represented by the club, the coach, the staff, and the players; each of these elements is functional for achieving the goal: they must collaborate with each other in an inseparable way.
3. THE RIGHT ATTITUDE: The difference between victory and defeat lies in the attitude: the sense of awareness of what one is doing. Each person possesses potential capabilities that allow them to be more or less skilled in a particular activity, but what really makes the difference is the attitude towards these capabilities. One may be the right person at the right time, but they must also be aware that they are the right person at the right time: attitude allows one to make the most of their potential without wasting it.

In this sense, success should be understood as the realization of the objectives pursued. Success means knowing and achieving the goals of the undertaken action. Those with a strong motivation for success are well aware of their potential, know where they can reach; they behave with humility and share experiences ("victory is noble only when it can be shared"); they are open to different points of view and can modify attitudes and behaviors in view of new situations; they have the tools to manage the effects of failure and continually set higher goals to achieve ("the challenge within the challenge").

According to Montali, what wins in sports is not the group, but the TEAM: one cannot achieve a goal by merely grouping together; instead, it requires working together as a team towards success. The image Montali chooses to describe the team is that of an orchestra. Each member of an orchestra has their own role and performs it according to their capabilities, so that they feel satisfied with what they do because they are skilled in a specific task. The club's task is to give style to the orchestra, that is, to give a sense of belonging; while the leader's task is to guide each element of the team towards the common goal: playing the chosen musical piece. It is crucial that each member performs their role with heart and passion (the attitude mentioned above) to achieve the objective.

A good leader must:

• Teach team members self-accountability. One must always be aware of what they are doing and their capabilities and ask themselves, "What have I learned today?"
• Collaborate with each element (from the collaborator to the player to the club's manager) to achieve the goal.
• Choose the score to play.

I would add knowing how to value the "first violin" in the orchestra. 

The WINNING MENTALITY in sports is, therefore, an open mindset that tends towards success, knows how to handle fortunate moments, and reacts to eventual failures ("it is from defeats that one must start building a victory"). It has remarkable willpower, is characterized by perseverance and determination, knows how to capitalize on one's talents, reaches their optimal performance zone, and is characterized by strong motivation.

The winning mentality is acquired through sports and, as Montali continues, should be relevant in general for life. Coaching, therefore, means preparing, training, and finally instructing because, in the end, what wins is the team game!

"Either we win as a team, or we lose as individuals."

To conclude, I have gathered information from various colleagues, coaches, and trainers and have summarized the following contents:

ON PHYSICAL TRAINING:

Physical preparation, like other areas of performance, should contribute to fostering a winning mentality in young athletes, meaning an attitude of competitiveness focused not only on competing with others but also with their own limitations. For those driven by a true competitive spirit, every limitation represents an opportunity to challenge themselves, aiming to improve by just one centimeter in their jump or reducing their sprint time by a hundredth of a second, reaching new milestones that provide confidence and motivation to demonstrate that they are winners and can plan to achieve the next goal. However, anxiety, effort, danger, and breathlessness are inherent emotions in the literal meaning of the Greek word "αγωνος" from which the term "agonism" derives. This means that no goal can be overcome, and one cannot possess a winning mentality without first learning to coexist with their own flaws. The necessary motivation must be found to turn these flaws into resources to achieve new victories. In this sense, a true winner is someone who, even in physical preparation, sets goals starting from an awareness of their limitations, without getting discouraged but transforming them into possibilities, and thus manages to achieve even a small improvement through hard work, dedication, and by seizing every moment of training as a precious time to improve and get closer to their objective.

• Awareness of one's limitations and pursuit of individual improvement (observations based on concrete data such as tests);
• Focus on cutting-edge work, emphasizing speed and explosive strength performances.

ON TECHNICAL TRAINING:

• Channeling the acquisition of skills with the aim of functionality (in practice, each movement should be trained at maximum speed and applied in situations with verbal reflections on successful cases in competitions).

ON TACTICAL TRAINING:

• Verbal and practical highlighting of the importance of collaboration for successful organization (in practice, targeted and evaluated exercises of mutual covering movements, movements without the ball to create spaces for attacking by teammates, all linked to the predisposition for scoring goals).
• Systematic work on forward-space attacks.
• Organizational preparation related to recognizable situations (e.g., set pieces, situations of numerical superiority or inferiority, concept of assisting the ball carrier and actions related to non-verbal signals or communications from teammates).

ON MENTAL TRAINING:

• Predisposition and respect for rules, with the group and the final outcome always prioritized.
• Encouragement, support, and verbal reinforcement in case of errors made while seeking offensive plays and goals in particular.
• Verbalization and sharing of missions.
• Verbalization and systematic search for motivation.
• Verbal reinforcement in highlighting and sharing individual improvements as a boost to self-esteem.
• Collective sharing of errors as a collective participation in finding solutions.
• Development of trust in teammates (e.g., exercises where a blindfolded run is guided from behind by a teammate with a simple hand press on the back).
• Emphasizing the importance of concentration and focus before and during the game (e.g., targeted warm-ups).
• Pre-game rituals or rites to foster unity and sharing (e.g., shouts or phrases before leaving the locker room, unconventional gestures like hugs or handshakes before the game).
• Handling halftime (reactions, behaviors, or communication modes related to the team's behavior and manifestations, e.g., raising or lowering aggression levels, focusing on difficulties, encouraging and sharing behaviors).
• Managing injuries and the injured player (e.g., minimizing severity when possible, conveying the message to the team that they are sorry for the person but their absence is inconsequential, utilizing situations where the use of substitute players has proven or is proving successful).
• Always displaying behaviors of someone who is not satisfied and always seeks a positive outcome, even in training (being attentive when the level of aggressiveness or expectation rises too much; it is the moment to tone down the intensity).