AIF conducts mental conditioning session in Goa

The All India Football Federation, in coordination with Premier League and Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) conducted a mental conditioning session in Goa with the U-17 women's team coaches and players.

India will host the next FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2020. The senior women's team coaches and staff were also in attendance.

The sessions were conducted by Richard Beeby, currently PGMOL International Development Manager who has been partnering with federations and leagues; and Liam Slack, a renowned sports psychologist, winner of International PHD Award 2014 on 'Mental Toughness in Elite Football Officiating'.

"We covered the key topics within the area of 'mental toughness' including reviewing personal pride, passion, purpose leading towards enhancing performance," Slack stated.

"As with all sports, particularly in a challenging professional environment, having resilience to cope with a range of demands is essential. Strategies to assist include 'mental toughness', a subject which is increasingly growing in importance for sports - men and women - to perform at their maximum," he added.

It was during the build-up to the FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017 that AIFF had arranged for a psychologist to help and stay with the team.

Coach of the Indian U-17 women's national team, Alex Ambrose said that "the players have acknowledged the need of mental conditioning and have responded with immense results".

Maymol Rocky, head coach of the senior women's team, said the "workshop helped immensely in knowing how mental preparation can help in either boosting the performance or reducing the performance of the team".