| Research on elite athletes, across all sports, show | | | | 3. Control your emotions and self-talk. Emotions |
| that these athletes all have high self confidence | | | | such as nervousness or excitement can effect |
| and they are able to maintain this confidence | | | | our performance either negatively or positively. |
| even in the presence of failure. Being self | | | | Try to focus your thoughts on the things that |
| confident does not mean you never doubt | | | | you are doing well let go and forgive yourself for |
| yourself or your skills, but it does mean that you | | | | any errors in performance. Positive self-talk will |
| believe that you can perform successfully despite | | | | help you control your emotions. |
| these doubts. There are several factors involved | | | | 4. Remember past success. Boost your |
| in becoming a confident sports player. | | | | confidence by remembering and replaying your |
| 1. Adequate planning, training and preparation. Most | | | | past successes in your mind. |
| sports participants spend most of their time and | | | | Sports participants with a healthy self-esteem and |
| effort at training, and less time in actually | | | | self confidence tend to try harder, persist longer, |
| competing. It is important that you build success | | | | choose bigger challenges and generally achieve |
| into your training as when you are completing in a | | | | more success. |
| match or game. Confidence comes from knowing | | | | There are many different techniques for |
| that you have planned and prepared as well as | | | | improving your self-esteem and confidence. You |
| you possibly could have. | | | | can use visualisation, effective goal setting or |
| 2. Focussing on controllable factors. Avoid | | | | self-hypnosis to program yourself for success. |
| focussing on uncontrollable factors such as the | | | | Finally, remember that everyone has to fail |
| weather, condition of the pitch or even on your | | | | sometimes. It can teach you things about yourself |
| opponents. Confident players focus their attention | | | | and show you were you can improve. If you are |
| on their actual playing technique and on their | | | | scared of failing, you will never learn the valuable |
| successes. | | | | lessons that can be found in those situations. |