SELF-CONFIDENCE Believing in Your Abilities [even in the worst of times]

The whole thing is never to get negative about yourself. Sure, it’s possible that the

other guy you’re playing is tough, and that he may have beaten you the last time you

played, and okay, maybe you haven’t been playing all that well yourself. But the

minute you start thinking about these things you’re dead. I go out to every match

convinced that I’m going to win. That is all there is to it.

Jimmy Connors, Former Professional Tennis Player

I go into a race and I think of everything that I have done and what I’ve done to

prepare for this race. I’ve worked hard for this . . . I think the people who do get to

the top are the people who are really confident in what they did.

World Championship Team Swimmer

What Is Self-Confidence?

If I were to ask you to picture in your mind a confident swimmer, how would you

describe this person? Descriptions that are typically used include: head up, bounce

to her step, shoulders back, speaks of being able to swim well, manages her

nervousness, seems unfazed by competitors, etc. While these descriptions may be

accurate, a characteristic of a confident athlete that you can’t see is BELIEF – an

inner belief or conviction in one’s ability to swim well regardless of the external

environment.

Essentially, self-confidence is the belief in one’s ability to succeed. When your

coach tells you the intervals to hold in a set, confidence is the belief that you can

make the intervals. When you are at Nationals for the first time and step up on the

block for your race, confidence is the belief in your ability to race up to your

capabilities (as you have demonstrated throughout the season). Research on elite

athletes across sports suggests that a high level of self-confidence, as well as the

ability to maintain that high level over time, is a factor they have in common. The

challenge is in figuring out how this skill/ characteristic can be developed in athletes.

Contrary to what most people think, people who have high self-confidence

sometimes doubt themselves or their abilities; elite athletes report feelings of

apprehension and pressure prior to competition but still perform well. So being

confident doesn’t mean the absence of negative thoughts or feelings. Rather, selfconfident

athletes believe in their ability to perform well despite feelings such as

apprehension or doubt. For example, when training has been going poorly or when

competitive performances are below average, confident athletes still believe in their

ability to perform well. Not an easy task! In this chapter, we’ll discuss strategies to

help you become a more confident athlete.