Tom Donati

Views are my own! Enthusiastic in Faith, Family and Football ⚽️

[Daniel Abrahams @DanAbrahams77]

“If we get beaten, then so be it but play football. If we are knocked out of the Champions League, then so be it, but play football”

Luis Enrique would have liked the work of 20th century psychologist Jeffrey Gray…

Jeffrey Alan Gray…

…a British clinical psychologist who, in very simple terms, showed how the brain works in two directions - to approach or avoid…

Approach = behavioural activation system (BAS)
Avoid = behavioural inhibition system (BIS)

BIS may be activated when players experience a punishment - they make a mistake, or think the opposition are too good for them, or they feel they're being negatively judged. They may experience anxiety, withdraw and play inhibited (hide, be a little slower to close or find space, hesitant to take action)

BAS may be activated when players experience a reward - they do something they think is good, or they receive praise, or they're confident about the prospect of doing something

Sadly, there may be more triggers for BIS than BAS...so coaches need to help players find BIS…

******************

𝐈𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤, 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐞, 𝐈’𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐡𝐞𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬. 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭…

𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 - 𝐚 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝-𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐝. 𝐈𝐧 𝐚 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲-𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 - 𝐩𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥, 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞, 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞. 𝐈𝐧 𝐚 𝐋𝐨𝐰 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲-𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 - 𝐢𝐧𝐡𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝, 𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭, 𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞.

𝐈 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐞, 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐬…

[AFC Bournemouth 🍒 @afcbournemouth]

The next incredible chapter of this football club is written ❤️

We’ll be in Europe for the first time in our 127-year history next season 🌎

On to Sunday for one final push to find out which competition 💪

[Premier League @premierleague]

The wait is over.

@Arsenal are Premier League champions.

[𝗗𝗘𝗖 𝗥!𝗖𝗘 @DR41fanpage]

I told you all. It's done 🏆❤️

[Tom Donati @donati_tom]

❤️🤍❤️🤍

[Tom Donati @donati_tom]

@StayWithGod111 Amen 🙏

[Tom Donati @donati_tom]

@ChristIsComing5 Amen 🙏

[Tom Donati @donati_tom]

@Life_truthway Amen 🙏

[Tom Donati @donati_tom]

@Aestheticswallz Amen 🙏

[Training Ground Guru @ground_guru]

Still see kids having to stand on the sideline as subs for almost an entire match in grassroots football, even at very young ages, as coaches stick with their 'strongest' team.

It's demoralising and doesn't help with development/ love of the game.

[Tom Donati @donati_tom]

@Holy__Bible1 Amen 🙏

[Tom Donati @donati_tom]

@trustgodbrah Amen 🙏

[Tom Donati @donati_tom]

@trustgodbrah Amen! 🙏

[Tom Donati @donati_tom]

@realdanieltitus Amen 🙏

[Exeter City FC @OfficialECFC]

🎟️ We have been given the final 1️⃣5️⃣0️⃣ tickets for Saturday's fixture at @leytonorientfc 🚨

Please book in advance to guarantee your place on Saturday ➡️ https://t.co/la1Ak8PVhM

#ECFC #SemperFidelis

[Tom Donati @donati_tom]

@_tommiddlehurst DM me please. 👍

[Tom Donati @donati_tom]

@Holy__Bible1 Amen 🙏

[Daniel Abrahams @DanAbrahams77]

“Technique is the expression of your talent”
Arsene Wenger

I agree with Mr Wenger…

Great technique is a foundation of any sport.

-Great technique can enable a player to anticipate quicker and make more accurate decisions.

-Great technique can help a player to manage their energy as they compete making them physically more effective.

-Great technique can bolster a player’s confidence - they are better able to play with energy-forward…purposefully, positively, and proactively executing actions.

As a sport psychologist, I know that a great mindset so often starts with great technique. So I agree with Mr. Wenger.

Of course, great technique is built in many ways…through instruction, through exploration, through modelling others, through isolated drills, through games and activities, through repetition in static practice environments, and through repetition in dynamically changing environments.

There are many ways for players to develop their technique. And, of course, every player’s version of ‘great technique’ is unique to them. Provided it’s optimal from a bio-mechanical perspective, every player’s technique will form in a manner akin to their fingerprints - with unique and individual-specific movement patterns that work for them.

I agree with Mr Wenger, and as a sport psychologist I urge young players to work on the foundation of their game - their technique!

[Exeter City FC @OfficialECFC]

Our opponents ⬇️

[Tom Donati @donati_tom]

@Plindsdog @Dalton_Kates @benfarmer03 @JSPartridge @andyharris430 Take a bow!!! 🙌