As 2025 kicks off, it’s the perfect time for soccer players to set goals and resolutions to improve their game on the field and prepare for the upcoming season! A new year means a fresh start for opportunities to open yourself up to new challenges, growth and improvement. Whether you’re an amateur player or seasoned professional, setting goals for yourself is key in becoming a better athlete both mentally and physically.
Despite having good intentions behind them, New Years resolutions can get a bad rep for being hard to stick with. If you don’t meet your goals it can feel like a failure, and the pressure to achieve your resolutions can sometimes lead to anxiety and stress. However, the key to making resolutions the correct way is to choose goals that you can realistically achieve. Other ways to create healthy habits for the new year include writing them down, making a plan, using reminders, tracking progress and rewarding yourself for any progress you make, no matter how small it may seem!
Whether you're looking to hone your skills, get more physically fit, or sharpen your mental game, New Year’s resolutions are a great way to stay motivated and focused throughout the year. So, if you’re looking to take your game to the next level in 2025, keep reading for some New Years resolution ideas for soccer players!
Most soccer players neglect their strength and conditioning in favour of cardiovascular training. However, your muscular strength is just as important when it comes to keeping up with the physical demands of the game. This year, challenge yourself to develop and maintain your core-body strength. This doesn’t mean you need to hit weights at the gym every day. Investing in a few low-cost fitness equipment items like kettle balls, resistance bands and dumbbells will allow you to improve your strength and conditioning from the comfort of your own home at your own pace.
Another New Years resolution to consider for improving your game is not drinking alcohol within 72 hours of a match. There are many reasons why alcohol is bad for your performance on the pitch. Firstly, it’s a diuretic that can affect your hydration levels for several days. Secondly, excess alcohol consumption puts great strain on your liver, which can affect your energy levels, among other things. If you feel confident in your ability to cut out alcohol completely during the season, we encourage you to push yourself. But if you don’t see that as a realistic goal, try for 3 days prior to a match!
No matter how much you train, getting enough sleep can mean the difference between winning or losing a match and impacting your overall performance. A great resolution to stick with in the new year is ensuring you get at least 7 hours of sleep every night (including weekends) and maintaining a regular sleep pattern. A few tips to improve your sleep is to remove any distractions, including your phone, TV, and other devices, at least one hour before bedtime.
It can be scary receiving feedback from your coach, or even your friends, but the only way to improve is by embracing feedback rather than ignoring it. Everyone wants to see you succeed, so feedback may seem embarrassing at times, but it’s actually there to help you become a better version of yourself!
A good way to form healthy habits is by dedicating an allotted amount of time in your schedule each day until it becomes second nature. This year, challenge yourself with building a training streak. Start by dedicating 10 to 30 minutes to your training once a day. Then set a reminder like an alarm or alert to go off at a certain time each day. Once your reminder goes off, stop whatever you’re doing and complete your training session for the allotted time frame. Once it becomes too easy, gradually increase the intensity or time as needed and keep the streak going!
A great way to improve your soccer knowledge is by observing your favourite teams and players in action! Whether you're a striker, midfielder or defender, being able to read the game, anticipate your opponent’s moves, and make smarter decisions can improve your skills. Motivate yourself to watch and observe more soccer this year by picking a team to follow (if you don’t already have one), saving the team’s schedule, and doing your best to watch every match they play during the upcoming season! While you watch, be sure to analyze their movements, decision-making, and positioning to help you better understand the game and improve your tactical awareness.
It can be easy to focus solely on the physical aspect of training when it comes to creating your soccer-themed goals for the new year. Mental training can help you improve your confidence, focus and mental toughness, which will allow you to perform better. Some examples of mental training exercises include practicing meditation to improve focus and stay calm under pressure, visualizing your success before matches and learning to embrace setbacks as opportunities for growth.
Soccer is a team sport that requires a successful team dynamic. Building strong relationships with teammates and improving communication on and off the field will lead to a more cohesive and successful team dynamic. Strong relationships with your teammates will also create some fun times once practice is over. Put yourself out there and you could make some lifelong friends in the process. Some great ways to nurture and build these relationships are by offering teammates support, practicing healthy communication and maintaining a positive attitude!
Finally, the one New Years resolution that we should all be participating in this year is to be kinder to ourselves. Every soccer journey has its ups and downs, whether you are an amateur or pro player. Remember to give yourself grace through every mistake and focus on all the progress you’ve made since starting your soccer journey!
Now that you have some ideas for healthy, measurable goals to set for yourself, what will your New Years resolutions be? Making a few simple changes to your schedule, lifestyle and rituals could drastically improve your performance on the soccer field. Whether it’s going to bed a bit earlier, practicing mindfulness, or working on your physical fitness, 2025 could be the year you take your soccer skills to the next level! Check out our Pinterest board where we have saved a bunch of drills you can try!
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