Alex Van Schalkwyk is one of our more talented players (see his profile below). His ball skills are awesome! He's a slick dribbler, strikes the ball well, and has some creativity and pizzazz. However, Alex has always struggled with self-confidence. As we started the Academy people always noted that Alex's mental/emotional game was what was holding him back. I begin to see it very quickly. In our first couple of friendly matches he shied away from the big moments. When we played Ajax Cape Town he was so intimidated because of the name on the jersey and the look of their kit. He would openly admit to preferring to play weaker teams where he knew he was better than the opponent. At the beginning of the season he started on the B team and he loved the idea of playing against weaker opponents.
Well, Alex didn't stay on the B team long and quickly got moved up to the A team. We continued to battle his lack of confidence, but things were slowly changing. Since the beginning of August, though, his attitude has changed dramatically! He's gotten confident, has been pushing people around, and doesn't want to play weaker opponents anymore. Our opponent this weekend is last place in our league and has consistently been blown out by the other teams. At practice the other day Alex said to me, "Coach, I don't want to play against (team) this weekend, they are so weak. I want to play against the good teams now." I couldn't believe my ears! Alex has grown so much in just a few short months that he no longer wants to play weak teams where he knows he will have success, but wants to play against strong teams that will challenge his ability and make him better. That's a big step for him. Now his natural abilities can be displayed because he won't hold himself back.
I'm so proud of him and excited about his progress!
Casey
Well, Alex didn't stay on the B team long and quickly got moved up to the A team. We continued to battle his lack of confidence, but things were slowly changing. Since the beginning of August, though, his attitude has changed dramatically! He's gotten confident, has been pushing people around, and doesn't want to play weaker opponents anymore. Our opponent this weekend is last place in our league and has consistently been blown out by the other teams. At practice the other day Alex said to me, "Coach, I don't want to play against (team) this weekend, they are so weak. I want to play against the good teams now." I couldn't believe my ears! Alex has grown so much in just a few short months that he no longer wants to play weak teams where he knows he will have success, but wants to play against strong teams that will challenge his ability and make him better. That's a big step for him. Now his natural abilities can be displayed because he won't hold himself back.
I'm so proud of him and excited about his progress!
Casey
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