Teamwork, Confidence, and Team Success
What is the main ingredient in team success? Just as individual success requires confidence, team success revolves around team confidence.
Team confidence is comprised of each player believing that the team has the necessary skills to accomplish their goals, such as winning a tournament, beating a rival, or making the playoffs.
High team confidence is the collective belief in the team’s ability to cope well with setbacks and to work towards a common objective.
For example, the University of Illinois women’s soccer team focused on team unity and confidence throughout the 2022 preseason.
In their last preseason games, Illinois ran off a pair of victories, outscoring their opponents 7-0. Freshman Lia Howard stated the team’s belief in one another and work ethic were the keys to their success.
HOWARD: “I think the biggest thing in that game was our work ethic. We also went into that game believing in every single person that was on the field, which was just such an incredible feeling. Before the game, we had a little team chat. And we were all like, ‘We believe in each other. We trust each other to do this, so let’s get it done.’ And that’s exactly what we did. And at the end of the day, I think we just worked so, so hard for that, and we wanted it so bad, and the result definitely proved that.”
The Building Blocks of Team Confidence
Team confidence is not built or lost in a day. Confidence is a gradual process, and each player adds to the overall confidence and success of the team.
Building team confidence includes:
- The belief that every player brings something unique to the table. When every player feels valuable, they are more willing to sacrifice for the team.
- The team developing a culture of hard work. In training, healthy competition pushes each member to reach their potential.
- The importance of team goals being a priority. While players should set individual goals, the main focus should be on the team goal.
- Supporting one another. Helping each player through bad games helps the overall performance of the team.
- Healthy communication among team members and coaching staff is essential. Never let problems fester. It is important to tackle problems head-on.
- Players should focus on the strengths of their teammates. Each player has strengths, and focusing on those strengths builds individual confidence and confidence in each other.
- The mentality that it is okay to fail. Players who fear making mistakes or letting the team down will hold back in games.
- Each player should take responsibility for their play. Owning up to mistakes, rather than pointing the finger, adds to the mutual respect of all team members.
Without cohesion, mutual respect, and team confidence, team success will always be elusive.
Always focus on building up your teammates instead of tearing them down. Just this one point of emphasis can dramatically increase the success of the team.
For all our confidence-building strategies, check out “The Confident Athlete” audio program on CD or digital download…
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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