Building Confidence

I was out watching a high school baseball game last week and observed an interesting pattern between the two teams playing. One of the teams had only one loss for the season; the other team had only one win. The interesting thing of it was, many who hadn’t really a clue of the records of the two teams could have told you without fail which team had the better record. Why? Because of the way the players on each team carried themselves on the field. Confidence is contagious on a team. So is the lack thereof.

I have a great interest in how athletes build confidence. As a mental training coach, it’s my job to help create this confidence in players. What I have found while working with and observing athletes is that most of the time confidence is created AFTER a good performance or streak of performances have occurred. However, a common characteristic in athletes and teams who have long-lasting confidence in their game is that they are able to create this confidence BEFORE a quality performance or string of performances.

The question then must be asked, what are the athletes who can create confidence doing differently than those who have to wait until a good performance to build belief? The answer is that great athletes have the ability to play in what I call The Now. They have the ability to flush thinking that takes their mind into past failures. They also have the mental control to keep their mind from moving into the future where negative scenarios may occur as well. This mental control creates high focus in the moment and allows athletes to have an increased ability to succeed; especially in times of great pressure.

To learn more on how to create in The Now thinking, download my free ebook, Toxic Baseball: Are you polluting your game.