Oct. 16, 2013
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Since the spring of 2009, English sports psychologist Bill Beswick has tried his best to make a trip to Columbia, S.C., each year to meet with the South Carolina women’s soccer team to talk about a variety topics and scenarios to help the team from a mental aspect.
On his latest trip, his topic was put into place the night before he was set to speak with the team. It was about how they react to situations. On Friday night, Beswick saw first hand how the Gamecocks reacted to missing great goal-scoring opportunities, allowing an early goal and how they battled back in the second half to win.
A former head coach of the England men’s basketball team when it won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games, Beswick has spent the majority of his career working as a psychologist for elite soccer programs throughout England, most notably spending time with Manchester United and the England national team. Recently, he has been working with Dutch club FC Twente as well as England’s national rugby team.
Keeping the attention of 18-22-year-olds is not always easy, but Beswick’s experience draws student-athletes in and makes them eager to listen. When he talks about working with the likes of Steven Gerrard, Wayne Rooney, Roy Keane and Alex Ferguson, it’s easy to adhere to the advice he gives because it’s worked at the highest level.
“He’s seen all levels of soccer so he knows what he’s talking about,” senior midfielder Elizabeth Sinclair said. “He’s coached some of the top players so he knows what it takes to be great. It’s a lot of mental attitude more than skill so I think that it’s important for kids to know that it’s not just how well you can pass the ball, it’s how well can you handle everything going on around you. That’s the third time I’ve heard him, but even if he says something I’ve already heard, I now have perspective and better understand it.”
Although many of the older players have met with him before, his talks with the team never get old as he touches on a new topic each time so players will be excited for the next time he arrives. He has a way of getting the team to take a step back and look at the big picture rather than just shifting their focus from games, to practice, to school. He gets them to look at the mental aspect involved with everything and how it can help them succeed.
“He has an analogy for everything and I honestly find myself applying those in certain situations,” redshirt junior Taylor Leach of one of his most helpful tools. “When I was younger, I understood what he was saying, but I really didn’t really have the experience to apply them. Now I do, so everything he says I take it to heart.”
Analogies that he’s touched on are to feed the positive dog, which relates to staying positive and not allowing yourself to think negatively. Another that is frequently used is the comparison to a stoplight, which means that if you’re doing well, then you’re in the green, but when you get too emotional and aren’t thinking logically, then you’re in the red and need to stop and take a step back. They’re quick messages that teammates can say to someone on the field to help snap them back or let them know where they are mentally because players don’t always recognize that on the field.
The athletes are not the only ones who use his messages, the coaching staff often refers back to them and makes them a part of the program.
“I think we as coaches become better just educating ourselves with what he has to offer,” head coach Shelley Smith said. “It’s a benefit to listen to his wisdom. You can give him a scenario and he has great answers, but he doesn’t just tell you what to do, he gives you advice.”
Since meeting with the team in 2009, the program has taken off, winning 19 games and the SEC tournament championship after his first visit, winning 15 games the next year, and 16 games and the SEC regular-season championship in 2011.
“That timing of the 2009 visit in the spring was wonderful because it gave us great things to think about as we moved into the season,” Smith noted.
After struggling through the 2012 season due to circumstances they couldn’t always control, Smith believes that Beswick’s advice helped the team get through it and stick together which led to a stronger team this year.
“Last year, the results weren’t there, but the girls were very positive when the season ended and they knew that they were coming back and would make up for things that they couldn’t control last year,” Smith recalled.
From a relationship that was formed years before ever arriving in Columbia, Shelley and Associate Head Coach Jaime Smith’s relationship with Beswick has helped them provide an invaluable asset as they take the program to another level.
“We’re very thankful to have the opportunity to work with someone that the best players in the world are willing to work with,” Smith said. “The experiences that he’s had during his career aren’t the same as some of the other top psychologist in the world.”
