How can i get my body to work up confidence in an aussie rules footy game?

Question

I play aussie rules footy and sometimes i kinda chicken out or dont attack to ball hard enough. How can i improve my confidence?

Answer 1

Confidence - not foolhardiness - comes partly from being as fit and strong as possible, so work on that, then use your brains - if instinct says swerve away from a conflict, DO IT because your body is telling you to keep safe!

Answer 2

Facts are you are going to get hit while playing...ie bumps and bruises

You don't want to be like a Tom Lonergan (Gee) and lose a kidney either.

I suggests you watch players like Kerr, Judd, Shirley, Van Berlo, Ablett, Bartel...

They all go in hard but tend not to get hurt. Why? Because there's a technique to it. Watch them before they get to the ball ie how they approach the ball.

Take for example when you dive in for the ball, you'll see them sliding in with their back towards the opposition player coming in. The benefit is that if the opposition puts his hands anywhere near your back then its a good chance of a free kick. The opposition needs to be careful that your sliding in does not rip apart his ACL if he stands there.

If you have to fall down, then at least drop to your knees. In this position you can easily handball. If you fall over on your backside then it will be alot harder to handball.

Running backwards to mark the ball. Brave! But not many people will do it nowadays. Coaches also understand that a brave act might put his player out for the whole season. So don't feel too bad if you don't do it.

Key here is be bravely smart.

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Answer 3

Bump a bag, like the specky bags and bump ones or even a boxing bag and get used to it and know that it doesn't hurt you and you won't get hurt.

Try getting into weights too. They'll make you bigger and stronger and give you more confidence and the opposition will see you and they will chicken out.