Sara Curtis’ deep words

Published on April 25, 2025 in Allenatori, Calcio, Corsa, Generale, Giovani, Mental coaching, Olimpiadi, Stress, Tennis and Tiro a volo. 0 Comments Tags: .

Sara Curtis’s words,  Italian, 18 years old, the first mixed-race female swimmer to set the national records in the 50 and 100 meter freestyle, are deeply inspiring and reveal extraordinary maturity for an 18-year-old. Here are some reflections on her statements:

  1. “In sports, if you feed yourself with beautiful and wise words, your body moves in a positive direction…”
    This observation highlights the strong connection between mind and body. Sara emphasizes the importance of positive language and emotions in athletic performance. It’s a holistic view: an athlete is not just physical strength, but also emotion, thought, and spirit.

  2. “Swimmers, in particular, have to withstand the loneliness of the pool.”
    This sentence reveals a truth often left unspoken: swimming is a profoundly solitary sport. It requires introspection and the ability to live with oneself, in the silence of water and the repetition of training.

  3. “And to have a so-called normal life: passions, going out, studying.”
    Sara shows that she understands the importance of balance. Even those striving for excellence in sports need external stimuli, relationships, and a daily life that completes them as people.

  4. “I listen to the podcast by Zazzeri and Restivo about dual careers…”
    This detail shows how aware and curious she is. The fact that she draws inspiration from older peers and seeks role models demonstrates humility and intelligence.

  5. “Swimming is very mental… it can become harmful and alienating.”
    Here, the darker side of sports emerges: the pressure, the extreme focus, the risk of isolation. Sara isn’t afraid to address these issues and to say that, without balance, even sport can become a prison.

  6. “I’m lucky: I have a family that gives me a double perspective on things.”
    Her gratitude toward her family is touching. It shows that her balance also comes from a strong emotional foundation, which allows her to see sports with clarity and not only as a source of performance anxiety.

In summary, Sara Curtis is not just a promising talent in Italian swimming, but also a young woman with a clear, conscious, and deeply human outlook. Her words are a lesson for many, both in and out of the water.

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Gambling addiction among professional footballers: A growing global concern

Published on April 22, 2025 in Allenatori, Calcio, Corsa, Generale, Giovani, Mental coaching, Olimpiadi, Stress, Tennis and Tiro a volo. 0 Comments Tags: .

Gambling addiction among professional footballers is a worrying and growing phenomenon, not limited to Italy but widespread across the globe. A combination of factors—such as easy access to online betting, performance pressure, and locker room culture—makes players particularly vulnerable.

A Global Issue

European studies indicate that professional footballers are four times more likely to develop gambling addiction compared to the general population. Specifically, 57% of European professional athletes reported having bet at least once, with a problematic gambling rate of 8.2%.

In Sweden, research has found that 6% of elite athletes exhibit problematic gambling behavior, with higher rates among men and those who began betting at a young age.

In the United States, 33% of college athletes meet the criteria for gambling addiction, highlighting the issue’s spread among younger populations as well.

The Consequences

Gambling addiction can lead to serious personal and professional consequences. Some players have reported that financial losses negatively affect their on-field performance, causing anxiety and distraction during matches. Additionally, addiction can expose players to exploitation by unscrupulous individuals, who involve them in illegal betting activities or match-fixing schemes.

What Institutions Can Do

To effectively tackle this issue, a joint effort is required from football institutions:

  • Football Federations: Implement educational and prevention programs, ban sponsorships from betting companies, and actively monitor players’ gambling activities.

  • Clubs: Provide psychological support, foster an environment that discourages gambling among players, and promote a culture of responsibility.

  • Players’ Associations: Offer resources for prevention and treatment of gambling addiction, ensure confidentiality for those seeking help, and collaborate with authorities to identify and address problematic cases.

Conclusion

Gambling addiction in football is a serious and widespread issue that requires targeted and coordinated intervention at a global level. Only through education, prevention, and proper support can we protect players’ mental health and careers, while preserving the integrity of the game.

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Mental coaching: Pay attention at this two common errors

Published on April 15, 2025 in Allenatori, Calcio, Corsa, Generale, Giovani, Mental coaching, Olimpiadi, Stress, Tennis and Tiro a volo. 0 Comments Tags: .

In the sport world, many athletes (and not only athletes) fall into two mental traps when it comes to mental training:

1. “Understanding” doesn’t mean “knowing how to do”

Many believe that simply knowing how important the mind is makes them capable of using it.
But understanding that focus is essential doesn’t mean being able to maintain it on the field, especially when it matters most.
Mental skills need to be trained. Just like technique. Just like the body. Just like everything else.

2. “Being able to do it in training” doesn’t mean “being able to do it in competition”

Even those who have learned a mental strategy often assume it will work automatically under pressure.
But competition brings different emotions. Different stress. Higher stakes.
If you haven’t trained that strategy in competition-like situations, it may disappear just when you need it most.

“Being able to perform during competition” does not equal “being able to perform in high-stakes moments”

While many athletes have developed the capacity to focus and regulate their emotions under typical competitive conditions,
only a few are able to consistently apply these skills during the most emotionally intense and pressure-filled moments of performance.

In these critical phases, the emotional load can exceed the athlete’s regulatory threshold, leading to maladaptive responses such as impulsivity, hesitation, or risk-avoidant behavior.
These are moments where cognitive control is challenged, and where the automaticity and robustness of mental skills become decisive.

The ability to maintain mental effectiveness under maximal stress is not a given—it is the result of specific, repeated, and progressive training in pressure scenarios.
It is precisely in these situations that the difference between a good athlete and an elite performer becomes evident.

The truth?

Mental skills are built over time, with consistency, and with structure.
Just like every other part of performance.

Knowing is not enough.
You need to train. You need to integrate. You need to repeat.

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Palla al centro – The new book by Alberto Cei

Published on April 14, 2025 in Allenatori, Calcio, Corsa, Generale, Giovani, Libri, Mental coaching, Olimpiadi, Stress, Tennis and Tiro a volo. 0 Comments

Sorry, this entry is only available in Italiano.

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Characteristics élite athletes

Published on April 12, 2025 in Allenatori, Calcio, Corsa, Generale, Giovani, Mental coaching, Olimpiadi, Stress, Tennis and Tiro a volo. 0 Comments

It’s not easy to understand why international-level athletes sometimes fail to achieve absolute top-level performances. Let’s try to identify the key limitations that might prevent them from doing so:

1. Individual Genetic Limits

Every athlete has a genetic potential that determines characteristics such as:

  • muscle composition (more fast-twitch or slow-twitch fibers),
  • cardiovascular capacity (VO₂ max),
  • response to training,
  • recovery and resistance to injury.

Not everyone, even with maximum training, has the DNA to become a Bolt or a Phelps.

2. Quality of Training

Even at the international level, there are differences in:

  • training methodologies,
  • quality of the coaching staff,
  • facilities (equipment, tracks, gyms),
  • access to performance analysis technologies (GPS, biomechanics, etc.).

A small error in training planning can make the difference between being “excellent” and being “legendary.”

3. Recovery and Injuries

Injuries are one of the main obstacles:

  • chronic or recurring injuries can limit training,
  • even fear of injury can affect performance,
  • recovery isn’t always optimal, especially with a packed competition schedule.

4. Psychological Aspects

Elite mindset is not a given:

  • stress management,
  • resilience,
  • constant motivation,
  • ability to perform at key moments.

The mind can be the difference between a world finalist and an Olympic champion.

5. Career Strategy and Management

Poor tactical and strategic choices (changing coach, federation, etc.) can affect an entire career. Competition schedules and performance peaks must also be planned down to the last detail.

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Sport Psychology World Congress

Published on April 9, 2025 in Allenatori, Calcio, Corsa, Generale, Libri, Mental coaching, Olimpiadi, Stress, Tennis and Tiro a volo. 0 Comments Tags: .

This Blog supports

International Society of Sport Psychology 16th World Congress

NEW IMPORTANT DATES

31 May 2025 - Early bird registration closing

30 Jun 2025  – Abstract submission closing

31 Jul 2025  – Notification of acceptance

15 Aug 2025  – Abstract re-upload (if required)

30 Sep 2025  – Standard registration closing

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We don’t know how to teach resiliency at young generation

Published on April 7, 2025 in Allenatori, Calcio, Corsa, Generale, Giovani, Mental coaching, Olimpiadi, Stress, Tennis and Tiro a volo. 0 Comments Tags: .

How is it possible that, despite knowing from research how one becomes

a resilient person, today’s adults still struggle

to teach it to their children and students, both in school and in sports?

Knowing is not the same as knowing how to do

Knowing in theory how to become resilient (e.g., facing difficulties, learning from mistakes, developing a growth mindset…) does not mean knowing how to put it into practice. Resilience is built in everyday life, with consistency and patience. And that is much harder than understanding it from a book.

Adults’ emotional baggage

Many adults never received emotional or resilience education when they were children. If you haven’t made peace with your own vulnerabilities, your own failures, and setbacks, it will be hard to teach a young person that it’s okay to make mistakes and that challenges can be faced.

Performance-driven culture

We live in a society that rewards results, performance, and efficiency. This creates a context where mistakes are seen as weaknesses, not opportunities. Parents, teachers, and coaches risk unintentionally transmitting performance anxiety more than resilience.

Inconsistent communication

Sometimes the right things are said, but the wrong actions are taken: a parent may say “what matters is taking part,” but then get angry if their child loses a competition. Or a teacher might say “mistakes are part of the learning process” but then harshly penalize errors in assignments. Children learn more from what they see than from what they hear.

Lack of time and listening

Educating for resilience requires listening, patience, and time. In a fast-paced and stressful society, many adults struggle to find the mental and emotional space needed to build a deep educational relationship.

Lack of practical training

Even when the willingness is there, practical training for teaching resilience is often missing: it’s not enough to say “you have to be strong.” Tools, games, conversations, examples, and experiences are needed. Not all educators and coaches have access to these or know how to use them.

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Book review: Palla al centro. La psicologia applicata al calcio

Published on April 5, 2025 in Allenatori, Calcio, Corsa, Generale, Giovani, Libri, Mental coaching, Olimpiadi, Stress, Tennis and Tiro a volo. 0 Comments

My latest book has just been released and it’s dedicated to football. It’s not a sports psychology manual, but rather a story told through four themes: training, champions, coaches, and the number 10 – the magical jersey of football.

It’s a book designed not only for football professionals but for all football enthusiasts, offering insights into why the coach is called “mister” or “manager” and how the myth of the number 10 was born, starting with Pelé. It also presents the psychological profiles of some great coaches to understand how different personalities can still produce top-level professionals. And it explores who the first professional footballers were and those who revolutionized the game – from Cruyff to many other football innovators.

From Maurizio Crosetti’s introduction: “Alberto Cei has been a sports psychologist his whole life – a life certainly well spent. His latest work focuses on football, training, motivation, and concentration. These are sacred words, unfortunately somewhat forgotten today, as the football vocabulary seems increasingly filled with terms like ‘inverted full-backs’, ‘building from the back’, and ‘wing-backs’…

This book, on the other hand, starts from scratch – it’s an ABC of core ideas. Because it’s easy to talk about training: but who trains the trainers? Who teaches the teachers?

Team spirit, the true meaning of being a team, and constant improvement as real objectives: these are the matches that must be won. And you don’t get there by just lining up a series of drills – that’s what machines do, not people. On the surface, Alberto Cei has written an accessible essay on psychology applied to football. In reality, it’s a treatise on education, learning, and the harmonious development of the human being. Motivation and concentration therefore become two of the most important words in this book – and in the life, not just the sporting life, that it portrays.”      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Join ISSP today

Published on April 4, 2025 in Allenatori, Calcio, Corsa, Generale, Giovani, Mental coaching, Olimpiadi, Stress, Tennis and Tiro a volo. 0 Comments Tags: .

Join ISSP Today

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World Autism Awareness Day

Published on April 2, 2025 in Allenatori, Calcio, Corsa, Generale, Giovani, Mental coaching, Olimpiadi, Stress, Tennis and Tiro a volo. 0 Comments Tags: .

Today, April 2nd, is World Autism Awareness Day. On this occasion, I want to recall when we started our soccer program for young people with autism, structured as a real soccer school.

Ten years ago, when we designed a soccer program for young people with intellectual disabilities, particularly autism, we could not have imagined the challenges we would face. We chose soccer for its popularity and accessibility—it can be played anywhere, even with improvised materials.

In the first year, our priority was ensuring the safety of the activity, also at the request of AS Roma, which funded the “Calcio Insieme” project and provided six coaches. We set up a closed and fenced field, removing obstacles. Our initial staff included 11 coaches, 5 sports psychologists, a speech therapist, a doctor, and the founders of ASD Accademia di Calcio Integrato. With 30 young participants aged 6 to 13, each child had almost one dedicated operator.

Today, we support 80 children with a staff of 23. Safety is further ensured by the constant presence of doctors for emergencies and the speech therapist for communication and crisis support.

Safety also means a personalized program tailored to the motor and psychological needs of the children, with targeted interventions for their overall well-being.

Before starting the training sessions, all staff members attended a 32-hour course on autism, intellectual disabilities, training methodologies, therapies, relationships between operators and young people, communication strategies, and crisis management.

This journey has made “Calcio Insieme” an innovative model of sports inclusion, providing children with a safe, stimulating environment suited to their needs.

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