AIFF conduct mental conditioning session for U-17 women’s team players and coaches

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) conducted a mental conditioning session in Goa with the U-17 women's team coaches and players in coordination with Premier League and Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL). The senior women's team coaches and staff were also in attendance. The sessions were conducted by Richard Beeby, currently PGMOL International Development Manager and Liam Slack, a renowned sports psychologist, winner of the International PHD Award 2014 on 'Mental Toughness in Elite Football Officiating'. India will be hosting the next FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in 2020 after successfully staging the FIFA U17 Men's World Cup in 2017.

"We covered the key topics within the area of 'mental toughness' including reviewing personal pride, passion, purpose leading towards enhancing performance," Slack said to the PTI.

"As with all sports, particularly in a challenging professional environment, having the resilience to cope with a range of demands is essential. Strategies to assist include 'mental toughness', a subject which is increasingly growing in importance for sportsmen and women - to perform at their maximum," he added. 

It was during the build-up to the FIFA U-17 Men's World Cup in India in 2017 that the AIFF had arranged for a psychologist to help and stay with the team. 

Coach of the Indian U-17 women's national team, Alex Ambrose said that the players have accepted the importance of mental conditioning and "have responded with immense results". 

Maymol Rocky, head coach of the senior women's team, said that the session helped immensely in knowing how mental preparation can have positive as well as negative impacts on the performance.