Sometimes players experience low self confidence in sports. This can be due to feeling incompetent, having unrealistic expectations, fearing failure, or the outcome of having past negative experiences. Unfortunately, low self confidence in sports is one of the most frustrating aspects for athletes because it is preventing them from performing at their true potential. I see this especially in youth and college athletes. So how do we improve low self confidence in athletes? Here are some strategies!
Understand that confidence must come from within.
No one can make you feel confident. This has to something that you need to do on your own. Your confidence comes from your own self belief in yourself and your abilities. Try to reflect and take ownership of your confidence. Someone purely telling you to “Be confident” doesn’t quite make the cut.
Set realistic goals and expectations for yourself.
Athletes who are often striving to be perfect have some of the biggest let downs. The more you keep chasing unrealistic goals and expectations, the more likely it is that you will not achieve those goals. The more you fail to reach any type of goal, the less successful you will feel. Confidence comes from small wins. Start setting smaller goals and expectations that are on the path to your larger goals that can help you feel more confident and successful.
Practice thought reframing.
How often do you hear yourself talking? Is it negative? Do you feel you are on repeat saying all of the bad things about yourself as an athlete? Time to start recognizing that you are in control of your thoughts. If you are hearing yourself say these negative thoughts, try to reframe them to a positive thought. So instead of… “I am bad at this skill…” reframe this to saying “I am actively learning this new skill and will get better with practice.” You are responsible for your effort and attitude. Learn to be responsible for your positivity and how you address your negative beliefs.
Improve low self confidence with performance routines.
When you create a routine, you are creating a system that is personalized and works best for you to get you mentally and physically prepared to train and compete. The more you are able to stick to these daily routines and habits, the less you have to think. The more you are able to just perform and not think, the more fun you will have. If you want to improve low self confidence, you need to identify what MAKES you confident. What are things that you do before competition that are going to make you feel successful. Preparation is the key to elite performance. This is also a skill that can be applied to your daily life.
Here is an example of an athlete I have helped to improve self confidence.
This athlete, we will call him, “Kevin,” struggled with low self-confidence because he was seeing limited time on the soccer field. He trained very hard, is passionate about the game, and can’t seem to figure out why his playing time is limited. When he is in the game, he gives 100% because he wants to prove to the coach that he can be out on the field. Sometimes, this has caused him to fear messing up because he doesn’t want to be taken out of the game. When he talked to his coach about playing time, his coach complimented him and said he notices his work ethic and does well in the games. However, the coach does not believe he deserves to be in the starting 11.
Kevin began to feel low self confidence from what he felt were his “failed” continuous efforts. He considered switching teams, blamed the coach for not believing in him, and felt that he would never reach his athletic goals of playing in college.
How we improved Kevin’s low self confidence.
- Kevin identified 2 small athletic wins every single day.
- Kevin started his day with gratefulness and 1 realistic goal he had for himself that day.
- Kevin intentionally trained 2 small habits that would help him with specific mindset and skills to apply every day.
- Kevin focused on the process of getting more playing time, rather than the outcome. When he focused on the small goals to what it would take to see more time on the field, he actually began to see more time.
- Kevin collaborated with the coach, took ownership of his current skills and assets to the team, and used them in a way that was for THE TEAM. Not for him. When he put the team first by applying his own strengths and skillsets, he became much more confident and felt more valued.
- Kevin had to take ownership for his attitude and effort every single day. He focused on what he could control and celebrated small victories along the way.
- Kevin learned a unique positive mindset mantra to keep him focused while he reset his mind.
While working with Kevin, he found that building confidence was on him, but he had all of the tools that could help him. Having a mental performance coach helped keep him on task, in check, challenged him when needed, and provided consistent support and strategies.
Would you like to work with a mental performance coach to help you improve your low self confidence?
