An issue that I would like to talk about, is player’s mental fatigue. We, in rugby, often talk about player fatigue, and I personally subscribe to Tim Noakes’ views on resting top players. Now in soccer, these guys play even more games in a year. Let’s take your top premiership player at a club like Chelsea – 38 league games, 10 European games, 6 FA cup games, 5 league cup games, 10 internationals and a few pre-season friendlies, that is a huge amount of soccer played. Physically elite athletes are pushed to their limits and this is where most of the focus lies from the general public.
With conditioning being as good as it is, I believe these guys’ bodies can handle the strain for quite some time. However, where I think they can battle is with mental fatigue. Steven Pienaar was complaining about it and it showed in his performances. I believe there is no hard and fast rule as to when a player will tire mentally. This will have a lot to do with his physical fitness, his internal motivation, his team’s performances and many more factors. For this reason, each case needs to be taken individually. But what is true is that although these guys earn the top dollar they are very likely to experience mental fatigue at some stage. This World Cup has shown up some teams to be very fatigued, and the effects of this fatigue are more evident within the teams that perhaps are having other problems in team morale (France and England are great examples). What we see is the glamour and glory of sport, but often we do not see the endless monotony of hotel rooms, airports and training grounds that can all be very draining. Mental fatigue is an issue that needs to be addressed and not dismissed. To raise oneself for big game after big game is a major challenge, and I truly believe that mental fatigue is something that is not properly addressed at all levels of sport. A coach, captain and staff need to ensure that proper stimulation is kept up and the needs of the players seen to. Bafana Bafana even are beginning to show signs of disharmony and this may have just as much to do with fatigue as it does to the pressure they are under. Fatigue is not a bad thing or something unacceptable, but something that is real and will often be the greatest enemy of success.
In this World Cup we have seen upsets a plenty, as it appears that the big sides, all with players that have been pushed to the max throughout the season, are tiring not only in the legs but in the mind. The pressure that is created through sport can begin to drain a player and if proper management of a player’s psyche is not done, mental fatigue can set in. Players also need to be schooled in being able to manage their thought processes so that they can switch on and off at the appropriate times and allow themselves ‘rest’ time. I think we are going to see more and more reference to tiredness in the World Cup, but we will also hear all sorts of other excuses thrown around about reasons for losses in the coming weeks. We will hear lots of people bemoan the fact that these players are citing fatigue and see it at as ridiculous, but the truth is, fatigue is out and open and plain for all to see.
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