When you are involved in sports long enough, each of you will likely
find yourself in pressure-packed late game situation where you need to
come through in the clutch. Whether it is a last second shot in basketball,
or a game winning hit in softball/baseball, each of you will likely need
to perform with the game on the line. The mental skill that will
help you most during these pressure situations is confidence.
Simply put, confidence is the belief that your ability to perform
is greater than or equal to the demands of the situation. Believing
that you have the skills and ability to handle the situation creates confidence.
Believing that the situation demands more than what you can handle produces
stress, doubt, and fear. The key to confidence then is to focus on
all the positive things you have going for you. Confident athletes
expect success because they focus on their strengths, past successes, preparation,
and praise.
Four Ways to Create and Cultivate Confidence
1. Focus on Your Strengths
What do you do well? One way to build your confidence is to focus
on your strengths (both physical and mental). Confident athletes
remind themselves of their strengths before they perform by focusing on
the talents and abilities they have going for them. At Arizona we
have our athletes list their individual strengths or ìweaponsî as they
like to call them. Take a moment and list all of the things you are
good at in your sport. By recognizing and remembering your strengths,
you will create some concrete thoughts to focus on the next time you need
to create confidence.
2. Remember Your Past Successes
Down one, five seconds left, your team needs a basket to win the game
. . . Whatís going through your mind? Michael Jordan says that
when he is in a pressure situation he remembers all of the past game-winning
shots he has hit to build his confidence. Remembering your past successes
is another effective way to create confidence. If you have been successful
in similar past situations, you have the right to expect that you can and
will be successful again. List past successful games or plays you
have made, as well as any awards or honors you have received. These
past successes will prove to you that you have what it takes to be successful.
3. Prepare and Practice with Quality
Working hard and and putting in quality practices are great ways to
cultivate confidence. National Softball Player of the Year Jenny
Dalton-Hill credits much of her success to the quality hours of preparation
she has invested in the batting cage and the thousands of balls she has
fielded. The quality practices gave her the right to feel prepared
and confident come game time. Be sure that you take advantage of
each practice as an opportunity to build your skills and your confidence.
4. Appreciate the Praise
A final way to build your confidence is to focus on the praise and
encouraging words that coaches, parents, and teammates have given you.
Remembering that others believe in you and want you to be successful is
a good way to jump-start your own confidence. Reflect on the positive
things that others may have said about your game. Further, be sure
to compliment your coaches and teammates in an effort to build their confidence.
Confidence is critical to successful performance, especially in pressure
situations. Use the four ways to create and cultivate your confidence
so that you believe you can be successful in every situation.