How is Soccer Related to Nature? 3 Perfect Examples

When was the last time you trained outdoors, under the sun, barefoot, instead of indoors, under fake light, wearing smart technology, or with cleats between you and the natural world?

Nature’s impact on soccer performance is a game-changer, and it could be the most important thing missing in your training routines. It’s not a secret that we should all connect with nature more, because we’re part of nature, yet many soccer players, youth, and professionals fail to take advantage of the many, and oftentimes free, benefits of working with nature.

Growing up, intuitively, I knew it made sense to spend as much time in nature and outdoors as possible. As I got older, I graduated with a degree in Kinesiology: Rehab Science, I played in amateur soccer leagues, I began training players, I ran sports leagues, and I began to understand the reasons why nature is so important for performance on and off the field, and everything started to make more sense.

Working with nature is key to becoming a better player, getting in better shape, preventing injuries, and can even improve overall health because it helps with all aspects of soccer performance, such as talent, soccer IQ, mindset, athleticism, fitness, recovery, and discipline. In this blog post, I will explain how soccer relates to nature and the crucial role it plays in overall health, performance on the field, and recovery off it.

How is Soccer Related to Nature?

Although soccer and nature are two completely different things, there are many similarities between the two, because soccer, like nature, can be used to compare to a lot of real-world situations and teaches valuable lessons about rhythm, timing, adaptation, and working with natural forces rather than against them. Just like nature operates on cycles, day and night, seasons, growth and rest, soccer players must also respect their body’s natural rhythms to perform at their best and stay injury-free.

When you ignore nature’s principles, whether in training or recovery, you’re fighting against millions of years of human evolution, and your performance and health can suffer as a result.

Unpredictability

First, research, such as this one, shows that soccer is the most unpredictable sport in the world, in the same way that anything can happen out in nature at any given moment. The unpredictability is what sets soccer apart from other sports.

Think about the World Cup for a second. Even people who don’t regularly watch soccer will tune-in to the World Cup and usually keep watching soccer, even occasionally, afterwards because it gives them a glimpse of what the beautiful game is all about.

Other countries have even more unpredictable scenarios because of the promotion and relegation systems that the United States does not have. This type of system makes every game a high pressure game and requires a different type of drive and motivation that might be lacking in fixed systems, like in Major League Soccer.

With all of this unpredictability there is also a lot of teamwork involved, which aims to create order from all of the disorder. Soccer teams, like all of nature, must work together to get through a challenge and accomplish a common goal.

Players must know how to communicate effectively and understand each other’s movements, to respond correctly to the ever-changing dynamics of the soccer field.

Decentralization

Next is decentralization. Soccer operates a lot like nature’s decentralized systems, where no single player or authority controls the entire game.

Just like natural ecosystems function without a central command center, everything from the plants to the animals to everything else works together, soccer teams must adapt and make decisions in real-time without constant direction from anyone, although they can get some guidance from coaches on the sideline.

Yes, the coach is technically the leader who sets the strategy and formation, and referees can influence the flow through their calls, but once the whistle blows, the game becomes a decentralized system where each player must read the field, understand each other’s playing style, and make split-second decisions. The image below is of various examples of decentralized systems found in this universe, another one being Bitcoin / cryptocurrency.

Basically, everything in our modern world is now centralized which means they do have a leading authority figure in charge such as the government, the fitness industry, the food industry, the music industry, pharmacies, hospitals, schools, gyms, and many more examples. Nature is the biggest decentralized system in the world and it has been doing its own natural experiments for billions of years, which is why it is not smart to work against it.

We are a product of Nature’s billion year old experiments and that is why we are alive today. The beauty of both soccer and nature lies in this decentralized intelligence—the ability to self-organize, adapt, and thrive through organic interactions rather than forced ones.

Image by Source

Accessibility

Sometimes the most effective things in life are also the simplest. Think about it, in football all you really need is a ball, open space, your feet, and you can start playing and developing your skills.

If you don’t have the best equipment or field, remember that there are kids in countries that are forced to play barefoot, on dirt, with rocks as goals, and makeshift balls created from plastic bags or bottle who have develop elite talent and passion and reach the highest levels of the game.

In the same way soccer is basically accessible to everyone, working with nature does not cost money and is available to every player on the planet. Morning sunlight is free, walking barefoot on grass requires no membership fees, and breathing fresh air outside is available to anyone willing to step outside.

The natural methods I’ll explain are completely free, accessible to everyone, and they have a far greater impact on your health and performance than any expensive product a centralized system can sell you. These free nature-based strategies work because they optimize your mitochondrial function and circadian rhythm, the two most fundamental aspects of health and longevity.

How Do you Work with Nature?

• Fix your sleep – don’t go to bed too late
• Wake up early enough to see the sunrise in the morning
• See the sunset in the evening
• After sunset, wear blue light blockers to block artificial blue light from electronic devices
• Get enough sunlight daily and avoid sunglasses, that block out important wavelengths of the sun, and sunscreens, that are loaded with cancer-causing chemicals that also block important wavelengths of the sun
• Spend time barefoot to get the benefits of grounding
• Use natural recovery techniques daily and as much as possible
• Prioritize healthy nutrition, hydration, snacks, and post/pre game meals
• Limit and avoid EMF Radiation Exposure
• Use barefoot style shoes
• Spend more time outdoors
• Go on long walks in nature
• Stop staying indoors, not getting enough sunlight, and looking at screens all day
• Stop wearing shoes all day
• Stop eating processed junk food
• Stop drinking tap water
• Stop applying a ton of synthetic chemicals on your skin

Salmon Creek Falls in Big Sur, California

Final Thoughts

To summarize, soccer and the natural environment around us are a lot more similar than they are different. Working with nature, which means following the natural laws of the planet, and not working against them, is one of the most simple, and basically free, things that you can do to improve various aspects of your life on and off the field.

In this blog, I covered everything you need to know about how soccer and nature are related from explaining their similarities, to explaining how nature is a decentralized system, as well as providing you with tips on how to align with nature to experience its many powerful benefits.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is playing soccer nature or nurture?

Playing soccer is both nature and nurture because your genetic potential (nature) provides the foundation for attributes like talent, athleticism, speed, and coordination, while your environment, training methods, and daily lifestyle choices determine how much of that potential you actually unlock. However, nurture plays a much bigger role than most people think, working with nature, being in the right environments, optimizing your circadian rhythm, mitochondrial function, sleep, nutrition, and recovery significantly impacts player health and performance regardless of your genetic starting point.

The best players combine both natural talent with smart work

How does soccer relate to life?

Soccer relates to life because both require unpredictability, adaptation, teamwork, and the ability to make quick decisions without constant direction from authority figures. Just like in life, soccer teaches you to work within decentralized systems where you must read situations, communicate effectively, and adapt to any situation to reach a common goal.

The lessons learned on the field, such as resilience, problem-solving under pressure, and working with others, translate directly to handling life’s challenges off it.

Why is playing soccer matches on natural grass better than on artificial surfaces?

Playing on natural grass is better than artificial surfaces because it provides natural shock absorption that reduces stress on joints and soft tissue, while artificial turf increases body temperature, causes more friction that leads to skin burns and blisters, and has been linked to higher injury rates and heat-related illness. Natural grass also allows for proper drainage and better temperature regulation, helping players better maintain proper hydration levels and avoid heat exhaustion during hot intense soccer games.

On top of that you can take your shoes off once you’re playing and get so many benefits also explained on this post.

What are the Benefits of Working with Nature?

• Improves
  • recovery time
  • sleep
  • hormone production
  • mitochondrial function
  • fascia health
  • athleticism
  • immunity
  • energy levels
  • mood levels
  • mental health
  • Cognitive function
• Decreases
  • stress and anxiety
  • risk of injury
  • muscle cramps

What are the best soccer recovery options for players?

The best soccer recovery options for players include high-quality soccer recovery equipment, effective injury prevention tools, and structured habits built through following consistent routines, from training routines and daily routines to morning routines that support performance and longevity. It is also important for players to invest in off-field recovery tools and in-game protective gear, such as compression gear, shin guards, supportive footwear like barefoot shoes, extra recovery accessories such as EMF protection for soccer players, and foundational support from soccer supplements to help the body recover, adapt, and stay resilient throughout the season.