Most young footballers spend years training their bodies. Almost none train their mindset.
For me, mental strength far surpasses anything a player can do with the ball at their feet. My name is Jevonte Small. I’m a 26 year old football coach, motivational speaker and youth mentor from London. My primary aim as a coach is to highlight the importance of mindset when pursuing anything meaningful in life.
Whether it’s grinding out thousands of hours to become a professional footballer or climbing Mount Everest, mindset is everything.
One of the services I provide to my clients is weekly online mindset sessions.
Anyone can scroll through Instagram and find an abundance of football coaches. Most teach technique and tactics, which is great, but very few teach mindset.
Players rarely learn how to deal with:
• Pressure
• Confidence dips
• Rejection
• Criticism
• Consistency
Just to name a few.
For my more mature readers, I think we can all agree that life is full of these challenges. Preparing a young person to deal with them as early as possible puts them at a significant advantage both in football and, more importantly, in life.
That’s why I created NGU - Never Give Up. A mindset coaching approach designed specifically for young footballers who want to develop confidence, resilience, and discipline.
What this newsletter will give you.
Every week I’ll share lessons to help footballers develop the mindset needed to succeed:
• Confidence under pressure
• Mental resilience after setbacks
• Consistency in training
• A mindset for success on and off the pitch
Because life is much bigger than football.
I’ve made many mistakes and fallen short more times than I can count. I’m simply here to give each one of you readers an insight into my experiences both in life and in football.
My goal is simple:
To help create better players and better individuals who are ready to put their best foot forward in life.
If you’re an athlete, football parent, or player, I’d love to hear from you.
What are some of the biggest mental challenges you or your child have faced in football?