Every athlete knows that confidence is the key to success.
If a pitcher is confident, he will challenge hitters and locate pitches better. If a golfer is confident, she will not second-guess every putt. If a cross country runner is confident, she will rev up the pace earlier in a race. If a hockey goaltender is confident, he will shake off a goal more easily and quickly re-focus his mind and be mentally prepared for the next shot.
Confidence is everything when it comes to sport and life. Yet athletes rarely become active participants in building their confidence. The main reason athletes fail to focus on their own confidence is they are not sure about how to go about this process.
Below are 5 proven and effective strategies aimed at building self-confidence:
Positive Self Talk – Remind yourself of your positive attributes and athletic abilities. By identifying your talents, you will more positive about yourself as an athlete.
Imagery – Feed yourself a daily dose of positive imagery. Image yourself competing better than you ever have before. Positive images are a major confidence booster.
Positive Body Language – Body language is often a neglected area when it comes to confidence building. Your body sends images to your brain affecting your thoughts and feelings. Positive body language, such as head up, shoulders back and a bounce in your step send positive messages to your brain that contribute to successful athletic performances.
Preparation – The better prepared you are for a competition, the more confident you will be for that competition. It is no different than test-taking. The more thoroughly you study, the better you feel about your prospects of a good grade.
Success Journal – Success breeds confidence. Write down your athletic successes in a notebook. You can always find something good that you did in a competition. No success is too small. Read your success journal every day for a quick dose of confidence.
Self-Confidence is your responsibility so don’t let it up to chance. Feed yourself a daily dose of confidence and you will see a marketable improvement in your confidence level and athletic performances.