Self-Confidence, Why Does It Matter?

Self confidence is imperative to optimal athletic performance! Confidence is the athlete’s belief that they can overcome any obstacle and perform an athletic skill successfully. Our task as coaches is to make sure we are helping our athletes build said confidence to achieve their potential. There always seems to be an athlete that is naturally confident and is willing to put themselves in a difficult situation that poses a challenge because they know they are going to come out of it successful. Why do they already possess this skill? What have they done in the past that has made them confident? AND furthermore, how do we share this quality with all of our athletes?

I believe confident athletes in particular have tried skills in the past where the outcome has NOT been dependent on whether they win or lose. As coaches, if we can maintain unconditional love for our athletes, where they feel both respected and valued, they will be more likely to take risks, which in turn will ultimately increase their confidence. 

One way we can continue to help our athletes develop their self-confidence is to continue to hold them accountable and place high demands and expectations on them. 

Try This

1. Help athletes understand what it means to give 100% effort. Every athlete’s ceiling is different, their physical attributes are different, and each individual has a different definition of what their 100% effort is. Therefore, we need to help them understand what their efforts look like at 80%, 90%, etc. 

2. Allow athletes the opportunity to understand the relationship between a high-level of performance and the outcome. Teams and athletes can still give it their all, their absolute best, and lose. This is OK, but as coaches we need to help them understand the variability of the outcome. 

3. Start your post-game by asking the following questions: 

1. “Did you put forth your best effort tonight?” “Why?” “Why not?” 

2. “How could you have changed your efforts?” 

3. “Did you respect your opponent tonight?”

It is OK that we are tough on our athletes. It is our responsibility to ensure that we are helping our athletes explore the limits of their own ability. 

Practical Application

1. Give your athletes the opportunity to play freely - give them the green light on the tougher skills so they can increase their confidence in executing those skills - learn by doing.

2. Don’t allow the comparison game. 

3. Athletes need to play for themselves and because they love the game, NOT because they need the approval of others and social media. 

4. Help athletes understand and focus on the process, not the results. 

5. Think positive as it allows the body to operate with clarity. 

6. Control the controllables.

7. Help athletes recall previous successes where they have had to overcome adversity and build upon those. 

Every athlete is different in so many ways, but I truly believe that they are all working toward a positive and healthy self-confidence. As coaches we need to help our athletes be as good as they possibly can, not only from a physical standpoint, but also from a mental one. It may take effort, but self-confidence is a skill that can spread into other areas in life and allow our athletes to be happier, more well-rounded individuals.