What To Do When You Hate Your Soccer Position

Some players love playing all soccer positions, but most have one place on the field that really calls to them. One of the most challenging situations a soccer player encounters is having to play a position they absolutely HATE. This unfortunate circumstance happens to many of us. Not only is it frustrating, but it’s also quite difficult to prevent. There are options you can consider in order to change your circumstance. They include having an honest conversation with your coach about your feelings, taking actions to change your mentality towards the position, or, and probably the toughest of them all, simply accepting your role and making the best of it.      

Talk to Your Coach

It’s always a wise choice to have an honest and direct conversation with your coach about how you’re feeling. I recommend approaching your coach at an appropriate time and place. Pick somewhere you feel comfortable and ensure you have plenty of time to chat. When expressing yourself, be sure to come from a place of well-intentioned concern and genuine openness instead of frustration and anger. That tends to only make matters worse. Be sure to formulate general questions and be open to hearing the responses.

A few questions to consider asking your coach: Why do you have me playing this position? What is it you see? It’s possible your coach sees something you don’t. You could be so wrapped up in your unhappiness that you don’t see the positive impact you’re having within the team. Your coach may say that having you in that position is what’s best for the team, and if that’s the case, you then have to ask yourself whether you’re willing to put personal preferences aside in order to work for the team’s overall success.

Next, you could inquire about whether you can play another position during practice in order to show your versatility. If you’re respectful about your approach, and your coach is willing and open to it, it’s very likely you will find yourself with an opportunity to showcase your abilities in your preferred position. If granted the chance, take the moment seriously, because you never know if that’s the only shot you’re going to get. You have to take advantage of the window of opportunity YOU petitioned for.  

Change Your Perspective

What happens if you’re not given the opportunity to showcase? Do you just give up and sulk about it? Absolutely not. Now would be the time to take action. Investigate how you can make the position you’re in more fun or perhaps more of a challenge (if that is what you’re lacking). A great place to start when searching for new ways to view the position is to observe the best players and teams in the world. Watch how the player in your soccer position plays their part. What do they do differently from you? How can you improve your game after watching the best of the best? 

There is no sense sulking about what may seem like an unfair situation. So you’re playing a soccer position you don’t enjoy, you can either see the opportunity as a chance to grow, or you can let the circumstance turn you into a grump. Playing an unfavorable position means you have a favorite one, which means you can play more than one position! That’s a huge skill to have. Just ask Crystal Dunn, who’s made a name for herself on the USWNT as a left-back even though she prefers attacking positions. She plays her role for the team but also isn’t afraid to seize an opportunity to play up top.

Vlatko just said Crystal Dunn texted him with a little smiley face once she saw the roster being a little thin on the forward line and what that might mean for her. #USWNT

— Meg Linehan (@itsmeglinehan) January 23, 2021

While you’re “stuck” in soccer positions you don’t like, learn to be the best you can. Learn to excel. Coaches lean favorably towards players who can play more than one position. 

If you hate your soccer position, don’t give up on yourself, your coach, or your team. There are ways to communicate concerns with your coach in a productive manner. Our job as soccer players is to make the best of a sticky situation, whether that means finding our way out of pressure on the field or finding ways to manage not playing our preferred position. Be open-minded and willing to try new soccer positions. Remember the one thing that can hinder performance in any position on the field, at any time, is a negative mindset.

Featured Image via Adobe Stock @vallejo123

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