Comparing Skill to Heart in Soccer Players

We’ve all heard from our coaches to make sure we “get our touches in” and “practice” in order to develop our skills. But is that all there is to being a soccer player? There’s a major component you might have heard of, too…playing with “heart.” If you’re a highly skilled player but lack the true love of the game, you may show up on the field and not play with “heart.”

Is there a way to integrate the two? Yes.
Is one better than the other? That’s for you to decide.

Skill

Let’s start by breaking down the definition of skill: “Skills are learned abilities that athletes acquire through training and practice. Skill may be defined as the ability to perform at a high standard effectively and efficiently.” -BBC Bitesize.

Heart

Here’s how “playing with heart” is defined: “Athletes who play with intrinsic motivation, also known as playing with “heart,” are those who train and compete for their own reasons relating to self-interest and satisfaction.” -Dr. Chris Stankovich

Playing with heart can look like an athlete wants to win more than the competition. They play as hard as they can every minute of the game and are highly motivated without the coach needing to motivate them. This seems like it can give a Soccerista an advantage to the competition.

Which is Better in Girls Soccer?

But, does it? In my opinion–as an athlete that favors playing with heart over skill–having both aspects will give you the ultimate edge on the competition. That combo is something you can’t stop. However, playing with heart isn’t necessarily something you can teach. As a Soccerista, you can learn what motivation is and learn to increase your motivation which may result in increasing playing with more “heart”.

Former collegiate athlete turned life coach, Maria Afouxenides (@Spiritualfitmaria) adds, “You can have all the talent in the world but it’s the passion and the heart that will get you further than you can ever imagine possible. Dedication + talent + heart and soul = greatness! There’s a Greek word “Meraki”, which means, everything you do in life do it with heart and passion. Yes, one word for that entire meaning.”

We’ve all played with or against the player who has all the skill in the world but lacks the heart and passion to be effective. Or the player who lacks skill but has all the heart in the world and runs themselves tired because they try so hard. We’ve been outworked on a 50/50 ball by a player with more heart than us. We’ve been outdone, by the simple move of a player who has more skill than us.

Where do you fall on the spectrum of heart vs skill? If you’re somewhere in between, that’s a good sign! That means you can put in the work to increase both aspects of being a well-rounded quality player who plays with HEART and SKILL.

Featured image via Adobe Stock Images

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