Why is confidence important in sports

In one recent review, the average correlation reported between self-confidence and performance across 24 studies was 0. Even under strict laboratory conditions, it has been demonstrated many times over that when confidence is manipulated either up or down, there is a significant effect on sports performance 5,6,7. Very recently, research has shown that social support, such as that which comes from a coach or team-mates, can buffer the effects of competitive stress on self-confidence 8.

Further, exposing athletes to mental training programmes from an early age is likely to have a very positive effect on their levels of self-confidence, which may carry into their adult sporting careers 9.

In terms of specific self-confidence interventions, it appears that motivational self-talk has a more positive effect on self-confidence than instructional self-talk Another study examined the impact of hypnosis, technique refinement and self-modelling through a videotape on the self-confidence of a cricket bowler As expected, results indicated significant long-term improvement in self-efficacy and bowling performance following intervention.

How being involved with the success of others can boost confidence A good example of this phenomenon came at the Athens Olympics when Kelly Holmes outstripped expectations to win two gold medals in the and 1, metres.

Significantly, each of the American sprinters had won individual medals in either the or metre events at the Athens Games. The British sprinters attributed their extraordinary success to the mental boost they had received from seeing their team-mate Holmes winning her second unexpected gold. In a further recent study, it was shown that high self-confidence could reduce the intensity or strength of anxiety symptoms, and influence whether they were interpreted as facilitative or debilitative to performance Essentially, self-confident athletes interpreted their anxiety symptoms as being part and parcel of the competitive experience.

In a related study, it was shown that both the intensity and interpretation of self-confidence were strong predictors of golf putting performance Five exercises that will boost your self-confidence Exercise 1: Confident situations and situations of doubt To achieve a greater sense of stability in your confidence, it is necessary to know exactly what causes it to fluctuate.

Divide a clean page into two columns. In the first column, list all of the situations or circumstances in your sport in which you feel completely confident. In the second column, list the situations or circumstances that sometimes cause your confidence to diminish.

Clearly identifying the situations that make you feel uneasy is the first step towards building greater self-confidence. We will come back to these lists in some of the remaining exercises, but for now, it should have just served to increase your awareness of areas that can be improved. Exercise 2: The spotlight of excellence This visualisation exercise recreates the mental state associated with past performance success and will help you in bridging the gap between your ability and confidence:.

Imagine a huge spotlight beaming down on the floor one metre in front of you. The light beam is about a metre in diameter. Now think back to a time in your sporting career when you were performing at the very peak of your ability — perhaps using he first column from Exercise 1 to guide you.

Each movement you made brought about a successful outcome and everything just seemed to flow without much conscious effort. In a dissociated state ie looking at yourself from the outside examine each of your five senses. See yourself inside the circle and excelling. Now step into the spotlight and become fully associated so that you are experiencing events through your own eyes and in real time.

Again, notice what you are seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling and tasting. Notice exactly what this feels like so that you can reproduce it at will whenever your confidence is waning. Exercise 3: Positive self-talk Positive self-talk will affirm to you that you possess the skills, abilities, positive attitudes and beliefs that are the building blocks of success.

The statements you choose need to be vivid, should roll off the tongue, and be practiced well in advance of competition. Most of all, they must be totally believable. You should use these particularly in the low-confidence situations that you identified in the second column of Exercise 1. How can imagining successful performance increase our confidence? Think to a time when you have been in a situation and used imagery to imagine yourself performing a task well.

How did it make you feel? When using imagery you can take into account a number of variables including the sounds of the crowd, what you see, what you would feel when picking up equipment and even smell. Be aware of all of your senses. Finally, think about how you want to imagine yourself. Are you viewing yourself in first person or third person? The fifth source is physiological states. Does the athlete view physiological arousal as facilitative or debiltative?

When we are nervous we start to experience an increase in heart rate, increase in sweating, clammy hands, dry mouth, thoughts constantly running through our mind etc.

The importance with this aspect is how we view those arousal states. It is natural for every athlete to become nervous before a competition or match. The important part is how athletes deal with their physiological arousal.

If you view an increased heart rate as a cause of natural anxiety how is that going to influence your confidence? If you view an increase heart rate as worry and fear, how is that going to impact on performance and confidence? Anxiety and nerves are a way of our mind and body preparing us for competition.

Try and and view physiological arousal as facilitative to your performance. The final source is emotional states. By experiencing positive emotional states happiness, joy, excitement you are more likely to increase confidence.

As a coach think how you can help athletes to experience more positive emotional states. Do you set fun and enjoyable training sessions? Do you set challenging goals which athletes want to overcome?

Do you offer support to your athletes? Do you create a positive environment for your athletes? One very important aspect is individual differences. The best coaches will understand that every athlete is different. They will realise that not every technique or intervention will work for every athlete. As a coach it is important that you are aware of this and you understand what makes your players tick. Adam is managing director of BelievePerform which he founded in Adam has a passion for inspiring, educating and helping others to overcome problems and develop positive mental health.

Every athlete and coach knows how important confidence is for peak athletic performance …. But too many athletes I work with have fragile or unsteady confidence—they ride the confidence roller-coaster. Here are a few of the top confidence killers. Confidence is a mindset, but its also based on your past history of success. But if you disqualify past success and only think about mistakes, your confidence will be in the tank.

Confidence is how strongly you believe in your ability to perform. High confidence can greatly improve your game. See the graphic below to see how confidence can boost your performance:. Master mental game coach, Dr. Patrick Cohn, can help you or your athlete s , ages 12 and up, overcome mental game issues with personal coaching. You can work with Dr. Call us toll free at or contact us for more information about the different coaching programs we offer! What a week I had.

I stopped evaluating myself while I was performing, and I actually left the arena after my patterns feeling like I had experienced a lot of fun. Thank you so much. No matter ow positive you try to be, are you unable to shake the doubt that rushes into your head when you size up your competition?