Why Stable Confidence is So Important
Confidence is important for athletes… But confidence in the face of adversity is hallmark of champions.
When having success, high confidence is much easier but, when obstacles appear, keeping your confidence high becomes more difficult.
For example, the baseball pitcher who was awarded the MVP for two consecutive years but gives up game-winner home runs in back-to-back games, then loses the confidence to challenge hitters in future games.
…Or the soccer player who loses her confidence after being sidelined by some nagging injuries. After sitting out a couple of games, she becomes so fearful of making mistakes that she plays tentatively when she does get playing time.
…Or the golfer whose putting has been a strength all season long but plays in two tournaments where the easy putts just won’t fall. He loses so much confidence in his putting that he begins to think about missing putts.
You can probably think of some personal adverse experiences when your confidence dropped and your game was thrown off… How frustrating was the experience? How difficult was it to get your confidence back and find your form?
So what is the solution when obstacles throw off your confidence? How can you maintain confidence during slumps, lose playing time, or are hampered by injuries?
The answer is three-fold:
- First, in order to remain confident despite setbacks, you need to temper your expectations. Don’t try to perform perfectly, just try to perform efficiently.
- Second, proactively fuel your confidence instead of allowing results to dictate your level of confidence.
- Lastly, stay focused on your strengths and performing in the moment.
This is the formula that Ireland gymnast Rhys McClenaghan has utilized to maintain a high level of confidence after his serious injury.
McClenaghan won the pommel horse event at the European Championships then suffered a labral tear in his shoulder. McClenaghan had surgery to repair the torn labrum and the prolonged rehab has set him back as he prepares for the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Despite his injury, McClenaghan has maintained confidence. McClenaghan is managing expectations effectively and is relying on his past athletic successes to proactively maintain a high level of confidence.
McCLENAGHAN : “If [other gymnasts] beat me that’s fair enough but I’m stating the facts that there’s a strong possibility I can go out and take a gold medal… I’m not saying I’m definitely going to win because I don’t know but I do believe I can. I know I can.”
Another key to McClenaghan’s confidence is that he believes he can win and he doesn’t obsess about winning. Rather, McClenaghan stays focused on the task at hand… his performance.
McCLENAGHAN: “When I go to a competition and think ‘I can win this’, I see the thought but I don’t let it overwhelm me. I’ve got a routine to do to the best of my ability. I don’t care if someone jumps up on the pommel and dances in front of me – I will not let my concentration fly.”
Confidence doesn’t just happen by chance. It is extremely vital to proactively feed your confidence to minimize distractions and fuel peak performance.
Stable Confidence Beats Fragile Confidence:
Instead of focusing on your competitors, the competitive environment, or the challenges you face, focus on what you can control… You can control your preparation, belief in your training, and what you think about.
Stable confidence comes from years of practice and competition, not immediate results or difficult circumstances. Stable confidence means you’re the same athlete with the same skills as yesterday–no matter what obstacles you face.
Learn Mental Game Strategies to Boost Your Confidence in Sports!
If you’re an athlete who struggles with self-doubt, loses confidence, or cant take “practice confidence” to competition, The Confident Athlete is for you!
Self-confidence is what separates champion athletes from the rest of the competitors…
You can tap into my knowledge and experience to learn how to bring ultimate confidence to competition!
The Confident Athlete CD and workbook program consists of 2 audio CD’s that include 14 days of confidence fueling exercises and a simple to follow workbook that guides you through the 14 days, helps you apply the strategies and customizes the exercises to your personal needs.
Remember, confidence is a choice you make. You have to make a conscious effort to proactively seek confidence building thoughts and behaviors. Confident Athletes are proactive when it comes to confidence!
Learn more about one of our most popular CD programs in The Confident Athlete Series…
The Confident Athlete: A 14-Day Plan For Ultimate Self-Confidence
Take control of your mindset and performance today!
What are mental game customers saying about our confidence boosting program?
“I am a ASP world qualifying professional surfer and after beginning the ‘The Confident Athlete’ I had an almost instant change in attitude about my own surfing ability and my mindset going into competition. By using the Confident Athlete strategies, my confidence has done a complete 180 degrees. I won a local pro/am a few weeks back, and just had my best result of the year in one the last big events on the world circuit this last week in Brazil! It is my secret weapon!”*
~Shaun Burrell, Professional Surfer
(Listen to his success story)
“We are amazed at how much ‘The Confident Athlete’ program has helped my niece play her best tennis during matches. She literally made it to the farthest round of a tournament (semifinals) after finishing the CDs/workbook. We are going to do all 3 in the series.”*
~Jason Bourguignon, Uncle
“I bought The Confident Athlete and I have to tell you it is one of the best investments I’ve ever made in sports (and I’ve made quite a lot!)” I am a top amateur racquetball player. I have multiple state and regional titles, and 2 national titles. Your approach and ideas have snapped me out of a slump that has lasted way too long. The sport is fun again and I am playing like my old self for the first time in a long time!”*
~Mark Davis
Boost Your Self-Confidence And Focus With Expert Mental Game Coaching!
If you’re a top performer during practice but find yourself under-performing in competition, the most likely culprit holding you back is your mental game. In fact, many athletes struggle with the same problem….
Master mental game coach Dr. Patrick Cohn can help you overcome your mental game issues with personal coaching.
Meet with us via Skype, phone, FaceTime, or GoTo Meeting. With today’s video technology, we are able to connect with athletes and coaches all over the globe.
Mental toughness coaching helps serious athletes like you to uncover the beliefs and attitudes that keep you from performing to your potential. You’ll learn mental game strategies to perform at your peak more often, overcoming performance plateaus and lack of consistency
Call us toll free at 888-742-7225 or contact us for more information about the different coaching programs we offer!
What are our mental coaching students saying?
“I want to thank you for the great
work you are doing with Ty. He seems to be soaring with confidence right
now. We are flying out to see him pitch next weekend. He threw well
Friday night and is drawing a lot of interest from several Division I
schools. I’ll let you know how he looks.”*
~Randy Sullivan, Baseball Parent
“Thanks again for teaching me how to do mental game coaching with my volleyball team. We are already seeing results for just our FIRST meeting! I really enjoyed out work together in Orlando!”*
~Kurt Trout, Iowa Rockets Volleyball Coach
Disclaimer
*Testimonials found on this site are examples of what we have done for other clients, and what some of our clients have said about us. However, we cannot guarantee the results in any case. Your results may vary and every situation is different. No compensation was provided for these testimonials.