Don’t Just Watch Games — Learn From the Players Who Play Them.

One of the best pieces of advice that I received when I was playing soccer was from the current head coach of Duke University’s Men’s Soccer team, John Kerr. He taught me to watch certain players, not just watch the ball during a professional or college game. Here’s the context…

I was 12 years old and I was starting as a center midfielder for my club team. One thing I was struggling with, that became obvious to both my teammates and my coach, was that I was not always aware of how close defenders were around me when I received a pass. This led me to be anxious, nervous, and rushed on the ball. Sometimes I would try to turn when there was a defender right behind me and proceed to lose the ball. Sometimes I would pass the ball immediately when I received it, when in reality I had 10 yards of space to turn and dribble forward. After a game one day, Coach Kerr pulled me aside and told me to pick a professional team, and only watch the center midfielder during the whole game. He told me not to pay attention to the ball, but rather, to pay attention to how that midfielder moved, how he consistently checked their surroundings, how he passed the ball, how he turned, how he positioned himself when he didn’t have the ball, etc. 

This was a game changer for me because I was able to pick up on little things the professionals did that I would have missed if I simply watched the ball move from player to player. The best part about this, it’s applicable across all different sports. I know this, because I applied this lesson to track when I was in high school and college. Instead of watching a race to see who wins, I would watch a particular runner. I watched their form, when they decided to speed up, when they decided to move out to lane 2 to pass someone, when they started to lose control, etc. 

So, if you want to reach your new level on the field, court, or track, don’t be like the casual tennis fan with your eyes constantly fixated on the ball moving back and forth and back and forth. Instead, find someone you want to emulate, and study them. 

In order to reach your new level, watch the sport on a whole new level. If you are a point guard, watch an NBA point guard and see how they move, how they pass, and when they shoot.  If you are a 5k runner, watch how the 2024 gold medalist races the 5k.  If you are a striker in soccer, watch your favorite striker and how they move off the ball, how they shoot, and how they pass. 

Level up your game by leveling up how you watch the game. The best leaders are learners. The best learners are observers. You could be one skillset away from your new level, and that skillset could lie in how you emulate the game of someone who’s at the top.