How to handle with the FUT Champs pressure? To find the answer to this question, we invited Andy Wakefield to explain to us how we should play under these circumstances. He is a postgraduate student in Applied Sports Psychology based in London, who has been playing FUT since FIFA 10, hoping to pursue a career in Sports Psychology within esports. If you missed his previous articles from this Sports Psychology in FUT series, don’t forget to follow the links on the bottom of this page.
How to Play Well Under the Pressure of FUT Champs
FUT Champions Pressure
Today, I will talk about pressure and playing better under it in Weekend League. As EA has changed the rewards for FUT champs in recent weeks it has increased the pressure on WL games. So, the question is how can we better deal with this pressure? Without going into all the gruelling research papers, I thought I’d focus on strategies sports stars use to deal with pressure better and can be used for FIFA/Fut Champs purposes also!
Self-Talk
Self-Talk is a big element of all sport-based activities. It can come in a variety of forms, from positive such as “I can do this” and “Come on!” to negative such as “F**k this game” and “I’m so bad= at this game”. Both forms of self-talk can be either helpful or unhelpful. It really varies from person to person and the meaning they have to that person.
To this end, we can create self-talk statements for ourselves that mean something to us. Below is a step-by-step way to create your own self-talk statements to deal with a situation or challenging situation you may face in game. Creating a statement in this way can really help retain and regain focus during high-pressure situations or moments. Below is first an example of what it may look like and then a blank one if you wish to give it a go! (Here the self-talk statement to make positive change is the alternative thought).
Example
| Negative Thought | Associated emotion when saying thought aloud | Evidence that does not support the thought | Alternative thought | Associated emotion when saying thought aloud |
| If I don’t make Elite it’s a wasted weekend | Disappointment, anger at the game | Elite or Gold1/2 rewards are based on luck… Gold 2 rewards can be better than Elite 3 | Whether Elite or Gold I will still have a chance at good rewards – the weekend isn’t a failure either way | Positive, less Pressure |
Clean Table
| Negative Thought | Associated emotion when saying thought aloud | Evidence that does not support the thought | Alternative thought | Associated emotion when saying thought aloud |
Mindfulness
One technique I’m a huge fan of is Mindfulness meditation. Although meditation and FIFA sound like they would never go together I’ve found meditation improving my FUT Champs experience. Meditating using apps like ‘Headspace’ and ‘Waking Up by Sam Harris’ has huge benefits in daily life. I’ve only begun to experience this but when I heard athletes like Michael Jordan and LeBron James used it, I thought to try it. It has really helped in stressful situations (such as FIFA 19 haha) to maintain a cool head and reset my mind.
I won’t go into it at length as I could write thousands of words on the matter! But if you’ve ever thought about mindfulness mediation give it a go! It has improved my psychological well-being massively and similarly made WL a more enjoyable experience. Whilst improving my performance under pressure in FIFA and in other sports. I will put some links at the bottom of the article if you want to know more!
Mentality and Small Changes
Just as an addition to these techniques, here I thought I’d talk about small changes that can improve mentality to a sport or activity. Interestingly, it is a common finding that just smiling or being surrounded by something positive/happy can improve our actual mood massively. So, playing WL with a smile on your face (as hard as that is) and listening to upbeat positive podcasts, music etc. can improve your experience and mood whilst playing FIFA.
As many have mentioned before, taking breaks after a rough game and varying your day whilst playing (regardless of result) can be hugely beneficial. Taking breaks and filling your day with other activities and objectives is key to dealing better with pressure. Especially when striving for good WL finishes, having objectives outside of FIFA for that weekend will alleviate the perceived pressure of FUT Champs.
So overall, I hope something I’ve talked about here can help you maintain focus and some-level of enjoyment during WL! Even implementing one change listed can make the difference in those high-pressure moments during FUT Champs.
Further links can be found here:
1 Link 1
2 Link 2
3 Link 3
Sports Psychology in FUT Series
1 Pack Opening Psychology
2 Motivation
3 Stress
4 Pressure