Building Internal Confidence

Possibly the greatest gift we could ever give someone is teaching them the power
of choice and how to develop internal confidence. The first step for an athlete to develop
internal confidence is to understand what it means to be a true success and the choices
that go along with developing the Cs to success. Once athletes understand that they are
in control of the choices they make, we can teach them how to choose to develop internal
confidence.
The formula for athletic success used in the book Coaching Mental Excellence is
!CC" # $bility % Preparation % "ffort % &ill' ()ernacchia, *c+uire, , Cook,
-../, p. -01. $bility is our genetics or natural born talent and cannot be changed.
2owever, what we can do is develop our natural abilities into our capabilities through our
preparation. Preparation for success is working as smart as we can, and includes what we
do in practice, our planning and training strategies, our mental and physical routines, our
nutrition, and all of the other factors that go into developing our capabilities. "ffort for
success is hustle' or giving our best effort in each and every situation. &ill for success
is continuing to give your best effort even when things are not going your way and to
choose to dig down deep to give 3ust a little bit more when the game is on the line
()ernacchia et al., -../, pp. -04551. 6n short, true success comes from preparing to the
best of our abilities by working as smart as we can, giving our best effort in each and
every situation, and having the will to choose to dig down deep to give more 7when the
going gets tough. 8egardless of the outcome, when an athlete follows the formula for
success, they should feel good and be proud of themself. $s coaches, we should do the
same and make sure that our athletes feel this way.
The Cs to success all begin with making a C2O6C", and what we choose to
think about makes a big difference in our performance effectiveness. 6t is crucial that we
know what the choices are, and how we can clearly teach these choices to athletes. ome
of the choices in the Cs to success are Confidence, Concentration, Composure, and
Commitment ()ernacchia, 599:1. &hen athletes reali;e these choices are under their
control, they will consistently perform better and be on a path towards developing
internal confidence.
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6n the sport world, a common motivational techni<ue used is the outside4in'
approach, in which confidence is based on performance effectiveness and evaluations of
others. Often unintentionally, what coaches are doing by using this approach is
controlling confidence rather than building it ()ernacchia, 599:, pp. -054-0:1. This
techni<ue is effective because athletes feel that no matter how well they perform they are
not <uite good enough, and that they are only as good as their last or ne%t performance
()ernacchia, 599:, p. -0:1. 6n this approach, the coach emphasi;es comparative self4
worth and uses guilt or the fear of failure to motivate his or her athletes. &hile this
approach works and can work well, it is not recommended because it sets athletes up to
feel bad about themselves and to fail in pressure situations. 6f an athlete performs poorly,
they cant wait to redeem themselves, and if they perform well, they are relieved but
apprehensive about future performances ()ernacchia, 599:1.
$n athletes self4esteem and self4worth are intimately related to their self4
confidence. &hen athletes feel good about themselves, they are more likely to perform
well, especially when the pressure is on. $n essential key to developing an unbreakable
self4confidence is to cultivate an inside4out' approach to confidence. This begins by
teaching athletes to feel good about who they are and how they do things and ends with
them feeling good about themselves regardless of outcomes ()ernacchia, 599:1. This
does not mean that athletes are not disappointed with ineffective performances. 2owever,
athletes retain their feelings of competence and look forward to performing again, since
future performances are seen as self4enhancing rather than self4threatening' ()ernacchia,
599:, p. -0:1. $s a result, athletes have a lot more fun competing and perform better in
pressure situations because their fear of failure has been eliminated or reduced. 6t allows
athletes to be more successful by helping them concentrate on the task at hand' or what
they want to have happen ()ernacchia, 599:1.
Conversely, in the outside4in' approach to confidence, athletes are constantly
reminded of the conse<uences for negative outcomes and they waste time and energy
worrying about factors that are out of their control. The more time athletes spend
concentrating on positive thoughts and factors that they can control the more confident
and successful they will be. &hat we concentrate on makes a big difference in our
performance effectiveness. To improve concentration in the performance environment,
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teach athletes to use mental routines and to have a clear and present focus on the task at
hand.
*any athletes have an outside4in' orientation and base their confidence largely
on e%ternal sources that are inconsistent or out of their control ()ernacchia et al., -../1.
&hen athletes are asked what they base their confidence on, many will cite e%ternal
factors such as= having recent success, a good week of practice, having a great warm4up,
liked their lane assignment, liked the site of competition, the weather was in their favor,
played well here the year before, or they received a positive comment from their coach.
$ll of these factors are e%ternal sources of confidence, in which the athlete has little or no
control.
6f ones confidence is based on internal factors, it is possible for an individual to
feel confident despite any unfavorable e%ternal factors. Therefore, the <uestion is, how
can we help athletes develop internal self4confidence> There are five main components to
developing internal confidence= ?elief in *ethod, Positive elf4Talk, Positive
)isuali;ation, Trust, and *apmaking ()ernacchia et al., -../, p. @A1. The central theme
to each of these elements is the athletes will to choose.
The first choice athletes must make on the path towards developing internal
confidence is to believe in their method. 6n athletics, there is usually more than one
correct or effective way to do things. There are several different techni<ues, training
programs, and strategies that will lead to success, and with all of the good choices
available, it becomes clear that the critical choice is not the method chosen, but
believing in the method chosen' ()ernacchia et al., -../, p. @B1. Therefore, an athlete
must first understand and believe that his or her techni<ue and training is the best method
for him or her. Today, with easy access to all of the information about techni<ue and
training, the days are blind allegiance are over. $s the coach, we must take the time to
educate athletes as to why the method chosen is the best one for them, and to emphasi;e
the importance of believing in ones method.
The second choice that will enhance an athletes confidence and performance
effectiveness is to decision to control self4talk. 6n our mind, we can only think one
thought at any specific moment, and what we decide to think about is under our control.
Therefore, in order to increase confidence and performance effectiveness, athletes need to
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choose positive self4talk. Positive self4talk is being our own best friend. 6ts reminding
ourselves of our strengths, great past performances, and the things that make us
successful. &e may not be able to stop all of the negative thoughts from creeping into our
minds, but we can decide to replace negative thoughts with positive ones that will help
our performance and increase our confidence. "very action is first preceded by thought,
and what we choose to think about makes a big difference in how well we perform.
Choosing to visuali;e success is the third choice that an athlete must make.
Positive visuali;ation is seeing what you want to have happen, before it happens. 6t has
been said that we cannot become what we cannot see ourselves becoming. &e have also
heard the saying, 7&hat you see, is what you get. ?oth are truisms' ()ernacchia et al.,
-../, p. @/1. &hat we see in our minds eye' has a big impact on our motor responses
and performance effectiveness. Positive visuali;ation is energi;ing and presets the mind
and body for a successful performance. &hen we are thinking and seeing the right
thoughts, good things are more likely to happen. Positive visuali;ation fills an athlete up
with confidence and allows them to show up for any competition e%pecting success.
The fourth choice that an athlete must make is trust. Trust is the opposite of
doubt, worry, and fear. 6n order to be confident, athletes must choose to trust their ability,
preparation, and strategies that they have spent time practicing and visuali;ing. +enuine
trust can not be fakedC it comes with consistent preparation and practice. 6n order to
increase trust, athletes should use mental and physical routines on a regular basis. $n
e%ample of a mental routine that will increase an athletes confidence and concentration
is the ee it, Deel it, Trust it' mental routine ()ernacchia et al., -../C )ernacchia, 599:,
p. -BA1. &hile using this routine before each race or attempt, athletes should see what
they want to have happen, remember the feel of a great performance, and choose to trust
that they are ready to deliver their best. &hen athletes learn to trust their set routines,
they will be successful regardless of outcomes because deep down they will know that
were thinking the right thoughts. Our performance may not always be what we wanted,
but if we were thinking right,' then we have been successful (*c+uire, 599.1. Eack of
trust locks an athletes potential inside. &hen athletes fall into a slump' talent is
generally present, but trust is lacking ()ernacchia et al., -../, p. @@1. Trust is a choice,
and in order for an athlete to be successful one must choose to trust her or his preparation
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and let the performance happen. Dlow' which is possibly the greatest e%perience one can
have in sport, is the ultimate e%ample of trust (Fackson , Csiks;entmihalyi, -...1.
Choosing trust is a mindset, and is not dependent on circumstances or situations
(*c+uire, 599.1.
The fifth choice that an athlete must make is the decision to set clear goals. These
goals should begin with the end in mind' and act as a map or blueprint,' in which goal
setting for goal attainment is the focus ()ernacchia et al., -../, p. @01. Fust setting goals
does not accomplish goals. Choosing a specific blueprint helps athletes to be committed
to achieving their goals. &hen setting goals for goal attainment, goals should be
.*.$.8.T.' with the smart acronym standing for specific, measurable, action oriented,
realistic, and timely (*c+uire, 599.C )ernacchia et al., -../1. $thletes should write out
clear goals that are measurable, take action to complete, are reasonable, and have a
specific timeline for completion. $thletes should keep sight of their goals on a daily
basis. 2aving a clear blueprint to follow increases an athletes confidence by helping him
or her monitor their progress. ome additional guidelines for effective goal setting are=
(-1 et goals which focus on the process rather than the outcome (51 Eong term goals
should be supported by both intermediate and short term goals (:1 +oals should
emphasi;e improvement of ones performance (A1 Gont try to do too much too soon (B1
Heep goals fle%ible (/1 Heep in mind the performance parado% of sport I the better we
get the harder it is to improve (@1 Eeave goals open4ended Je.g., 6 will 3ump @ feet or
better in the high 3umpK (01 2ave your athletes set goals outside of sport I teach them to
become a whole person. ()ernacchia et al., -../C Cook, -../C +ould, 599-C )ernacchia,
599:, pp. .-4.:1. &hen teaching athletes goals have them ink 7em and think 7em, view
7em and do 7em, believe 7em and achieve 7em' ()ernacchia, 599:, p. .-1.
&hen athletes understand the formula for success and the choices that go along
with it, good things happen. $s the one who is called coach, it is crucial that we give
athletes opportunities for success and help them build internal confidence. The five main
components to help athletes build internal confidence were= ?elief in *ethod, Positive
elf4Talk, Positive )isuali;ation, Trust, and *apmaking. The central theme to all of
these elements is the athletes will to choose. &hen athletes choose to invest in each of
these components they will have earned an unbreakable confidence.
B
8eferences
Cook, G. E. (-../1. The composition of confidence. 6n 8. $. )ernacchia, 8. T. *c+uire,
, G. E. Cook, Coaching mental excellence: It does matter whether you win or
loseL' (pp. 0-40.1. Portola )alley, C$= &arde Publishers.
+ould, G. (599-1. +oal setting for peak performance. 6n F.*. &illiams ("d.1, Applied
sport psychology: Personal growth to peak performance, (A
th
ed., pp. -.9459B1.
*ountain )iew, C$= *ayfield Publishing Co.
Fackson, . $., , Csiks;entmihalyi, *. (-...1. Flow in sport. Champaign, 6E= 2uman
Hinetics.
*c+uire, 8. (599.1. Thinking right in sport !rack and Field Coaches Association.
)ernacchia, 8. $., *c+uire, 8. T., , Cook, G. E. (-../1. Coaching mental excellence:
It does matter whether you win or loseL' Portola )alley, C$= &arde
Publishers.
)ernacchia, 8. $. (599:1. Inner "trength: !he mental dynamics of athletic performance,
Pala $lto, C$= &arde Publishers.
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