Confidence Is Not Constant, and That’s the Point

You are an athlete – and like most athletes, you will struggle with confidence from time to
time.
That’s normal.

Confidence in sport is never a straight line.

Even elite athletes experience:
• Doubt after mistakes
• Hesitation after poor performances
• Pressure when expectations rise

What separates mentally strong athletes from the rest isn’t constant confidence rather
it’s the ability to recover confidence quickly.

Confidence ebbs and flows.

Mental strength determines how long you stay in the dip and how quickly (and
consistently) you get out of it.

How Mentally Strong Athletes Think About Confidence:

Less mentally strong athletes:
• Tie confidence to outcomes
• Lose belief after mistakes
• Wait to “feel confident” before acting

Mentally strong athletes:
• Tie confidence to preparation and behaviors
• Expect doubt and plan for it
• Act confidently before they feel it

They understand this truth:
Confidence follows action – not the other way around.

Mentally strong athletes use these 3 techniques (and you should too)

1. Confidence Anchors (Training)
Purpose: Build confidence independent of results

• Identify 3 controllable behaviors (for example: effort, communication, body
language)
• After training or competition, rate yourself 1–10 in each area
• For each behavior, document one action you could have taken to improve
• Before your next training session, review those notes and commit to executing them

Remember: confidence comes from execution, not stats.

Coaches cue:
“Grade your behaviors, not your performance.”

2. Reset After Mistake Drill (During Competition)
Purpose: Shorten the confidence dip

Create a 3-step reset routine:
1. Physical cue – exhale, tap your chest, adjust your gear
2. Verbal cue – “Next play,” “Stay aggressive,” or “It’s done – move on.”
3. Visual cue – picture your next successful action (for example, executing a clean
pass)
Elite athletes reset in seconds, not minutes.

3. Evidence Log (Pre-Competition)
Purpose: Replace doubt with proof

Before competition, athletes write down or visualize:
• 3 moments of past success
• 1 strength in their sport they trust under pressure
• 1 reason they are prepared today
Confidence grows when the brain sees evidence, not hype.

What Coaches Should Reinforce
Confidence is a skill, not a personality trait.

When athletes learn to:
• Expect fluctuations
• Reset quickly
• Trust their preparation

They stop chasing confidence and start creating it.

Your Mental Giant Takeaway-

Mentally strong athletes don’t ask:
“Do I feel confident?”

They ask:
“Am I doing the behaviors that build confidence?”

That’s where true confidence lives!