Does your confidence depend on whether or not you are winning during a game?
When teams are winning, playing with confidence is easy. You don’t second-guess decisions when you are ahead. You play loose and free and are not adversely affected by one or two mistakes.
In fact, when you play with the lead, you and your teammates play as a cohesive unit and feel pretty confident you will win.
However, many teams react differently when they are trailing in a game. These teams lose confidence, have difficulty focusing and blame each other for mistakes during the game.
Teams trailing in a game often give less effort and become easily frustrated.
Why do some teams change their mindset when they are losing? Isn’t it possible to maintain focus, confidence, and poise despite trailing in a game?
Championship teams play with the same mindset, whether they have a lead or are losing by ten points. Their confidence remains stable. Championship teams focus on opportunities rather than what happened in the previous possession.
When championship teams are losing, they are still mentally in the game, immersed in the moment. They are laser-focused and do not feel defeated despite their circumstances.
*Championship baseball and softball teams focus on one pitch at a time.
*Championship basketball teams focus on one possession at a time.
*Championship hockey teams focus on one play at a time.
True confidence is not dependent upon circumstances.
The reason some teams continue to play hard and remain confident throughout the entirety of a game is that their mindset never changes!
In the 2023 NCAA basketball tournament, Florida Atlantic University beat Kansas State, 79-76, to advance to the Final Four for the first time in program history.
With 8 minutes and 37 seconds remaining in the game, Florida Atlantic was trailing by six points. Nevertheless, Florida Atlantic kept its same aggressive mindset rather than panicking.
FAU went on a 15-1 run that propelled the 9-seed FAU to a win over the 3-seed Kansas State.
FAU Junior guard Bryan Greenlee commented on the team’s mindset when trailing in a game.
GREENLEE: “We don’t really get rattled in situations where we’re down. We’ve been in too many of them. So just taking it one possession at a time and focusing on getting stops.”
The most significant revelation into the mindset of playing from behind comes from FAU head coach Dusty May.
MAY: “[We] weren’t afraid to lose today and go home. [We’re] not afraid of failure. We lay it on the floor, and whatever happens after that is more than enough because we’ve done that every single day. So there’s never a moment when we get tight because we’re not afraid of what happens if we don’t get it done.”
Fear of losing is a focus on the future. Thoughts of your mistakes are a focus on the past. Confidence exists in the now or in looking to make the most of your opportunities in the present.
During competition, confidence is at its highest point in the present moment.
Therefore, maintaining your confidence throughout a competition is a matter of focusing on making one positive play at a time.
Avoid judging your game each play as this only hurts confidence. Look for ways to gain momentum or shift momentum in your favor.
Related Sports Psychology Articles
- The Mindset to Perform at a Higher Level
- Having Fun While Performing at Your Best
- The Importance of Mental Toughness
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