“We often hear statements that the mind is ‘some percentage.’ Without unnecessary deliberations, let’s end this right away – the mind is 100%. End of story. I don’t want to say that football skills aren’t important because they are extremely crucial. But without a properly prepared mind, even the best skills won’t take a player far, and even if by some chance they do, they will quickly derail. The mind is responsible for showing the maximum potential on the field. It’s the mind that ensures you don’t get stressed during crucial matches and determines whether you’ll score a penalty in the final minute to win the game. The mind decides whether you’ll take the weight of the game on your shoulders and boldly enter a 1 vs. 1 duel. It’s responsible for whether you’ll be a true leader with mental toughness or a soft pushover on the field. The mind, and only the mind, is responsible for your professionalism and daily systematic action. It ensures you focus on generating specific and measurable results. It is with your mind that you set goals, constantly raising the bar higher and higher. It’s the mind that helps you endure 10 more minutes even though others have already collapsed. Mental work ensures you never rest on your laurels and remain humble in the face of monumental effort, even when achieving great success. It’s the mind that makes sure you don’t get carried away when you make your first hundred thousand, or later your first million. The mind, the mind, and again the mind, is the only factor that ensures that despite challenges and life’s difficulties, you don’t give up, you keep moving forward, you keep pursuing your goal – which is your great football success. It’s mental training that ensures you believe in yourself and your abilities to the fullest. The mind was, and will always be, responsible for you being confident on the field and becoming a football legend.” – excerpt from the book “Awakened Footballer”