A tizenegyespárbaj a nemzetközi élsport egyik legsúlyosabb drámájaként él a köztudatban. A szorongással teli várakozás, az egyre fokozódó rettegés, a magányos séta a tizenegyespontig... És aztán egyetlen lövés, amelyet az egész világ lélegzet-visszafojtva vár. Még azok sem tudják kivonni magukat ezeknek a pillanatoknak a hatása alól, akik csak alkalomszerűen követik a futballt.
De mi történik valójában a labdarúgó agyában és testében ezekben a rendkívül stresszes pillanatokban? Mi az oka, hogy vannak, akik remekelnek, míg mások összeomlanak a feladat súlya alatt? Végső soron mi dönt arról, hogy melyik fél tud felülemelkedni a másikon a tizenegyespárbajokban? Hol húzódik a határ a diadal és a katasztrófa között?
Ebben az úttörő kutatásokat összegző könyvben a sportpszichológus Geir Jordet a tizenegyespárbajoknak szinte az összes elemét külön vizsgálatnak veti alá, és ezen keresztül meglepő felfedezéseket tesz a stresszről, illetve annak az emberre gyakorolt hatásairól.
Két évtizednyi aprólékos kutatásra támaszkodva a szerző élénk színekkel lefestett esettanulmányokon keresztül avat be a futball leginkább idegőrlő pillanatainak kulisszái mögé. Jordet számos interjút készített szupersztárokkal, akik megosztották vele a gondolataikat.
A tizenegyespárbajban, akárcsak a való életben, sokszor a parányi, alig észrevehető döntések jelentik a különbséget a siker és a kudarc között. Miután elolvastuk ezt a könyvet, friss belátásokkal gazdagodhatunk arról, hogy pontosan mi is zajlik ezekben a rendkívüli helyzetekben - és miként tudunk mi magunk is jobban teljesíteni nyomás alatt.
Very interesting and well written book about the psychology behind penalty taking in football! Thanks to Geir Jordet I want penalty shootouts in every game now
I saw someone mention this on a TV programme and thought it sounded interesting. How could the lessons learnt from penalties transfer to every day life?
Well in truth, this book is probably 95% chat about penalties that have happened (this guys really loves penalties) and 5% how it can apply outside of football. That said, and said from someone who doesn’t really follow football, it’s an enjoyable read (well actually listen as I did the audiobook).
Some of my favourite quotes:
“The words dont matter much, it’s about being there”
“To make positive thinking the aim misses the mark. Performing under pressure is not about feeling good, it’s about doing what is right and smart regardless of how one feels and particularly when one feels bad.”
“Celebrate small wins to strengthen collective confidence “
“A miss is often just a temporary setback. What matters is how the team collectively responds to that setback”
“Anxiety is a normal reaction is pressure situations. The question with respect to how it will impact performance is: how do you interpret it and what do you do with it?
Very very interesting book. Fascinating insight into penalties and the pressure players are under. However, common conception is that penalties can’t be practiced or prepared for. This is wrong. There is so much, communication, team work, pre-shot routines and more that can be done to prepare. Managers can do this and encourage it. A lot of managers don’t believe in this and the results are clear with France in the 2022 World Cup. Gareth Southgate adopted the teamwork mentality. Argentina adopted the goalkeeper role effectively. Plenty of examples where what seems like a ‘luck’ or non-skill moment actually controllable. Impressive.
Jordet is one of the foremost authorities on penalty shootouts, and it comes through in the book. I was expecting more of it to be transferable to other areas (and some of it is), but even so, it's a compelling read, useful for coaches, players, and fans. Some of the narrative examples are a little long, but even those usually work.
Interesting disection of what goes in minds of players during penalty kicks in football (soccer). Author also reveals various tactics used by players to cope with this and finally provides a lot of data-backed up conclusions.
Interesting read in general and a bit different from your typical book out there.
Well written book about a fascinating subject. Most of Jordet's points were articulated well and interesting to read about. Particularly liked the parallels to leadership. I thought some parts of the book lacked deeper insight for me, but that's largely due to such a niche subject.
For those who love football but loathe seeing matches decided by penalty kicks, this will be a revelation. More vitally, however, he lays out the appalling neglect of psychological considerations in world football. A fascinating piece of work.
This is the best sports psychology book I’ve ever read. The way the author examines the intricacies of penalties is fascinating. Great work. Mark me down on the pre order list for his next.
Seems an oversight that there is no reference or discussion to the shoot out at the FIFAWWC2023 which featured the longest shootout in the history of the FIFAWC competition, male or female. 😏