Write your search in the input below and press enter.
Esc to close.

The Sports Doc Chalk Talk with Dr. Chris Stankovich

Peak Performance:
Not Just for Sports, for Life

  • Products
    • Toolkits
    • Audio
    • Videos
    • Books
    • Apps
  • Services
  • Chalk Talk
    • Recent
    • Athletes
    • Coaching
    • Sports Parenting
    • Sports Administrators
    • Life
    • Administrators
  • About Dr. Stankovich
  • Testimonials
  • Contact
  • Products
    • Toolkits
    • Audio
    • Books
    • Videos
    • Apps
  • Services
  • Chalk Talk
  • About Dr. Stankovich
  • Testimonials
  • Contact

Hello. Sign In

My Account
  • Login
  • Register
0
The Sports Doc Chalk Talk
Subscribe
The Sports Doc Chalk Talk with Dr. Chris Stankovich
  • Recent
  • Athletes
  • Coaching
  • Sports Parenting
  • Life
  • Administrators
Home / Blog / Learn the Fastest Way to Build Confidence & Increase Chances for Athletic Success

Learn the Fastest Way to Build Confidence & Increase Chances for Athletic Success

By: Dr. Chris Stankovich | @DrStankovich | Jul 18, 2016

No Comments

It’s pretty simple: The more confident you are in your abilities, the better your chances for sports (and life) success.  The question, then, is just how do you build self-confidence?

Psychologist Dr. Al Bandura first introduced the theory of self-efficacy, suggesting that our chances for success are thought to vary with the strength of our belief in our abilities.  In other words, the more confident we are, the better our chances for success.

Developing self-confidence

While it is true that some people are more naturally confident than others, we all experience ongoing ups and downs when it comes to how we experience confidence.  For example, a baseball player in the midst of a 10-game hitting streak will likely experience greater levels of confidence during the streak, but later in the season when he is in an 0-20 slump his confidence will almost certainly take a hit.  The point is that confidence is not a static construct, but instead fluid, ongoing, and always-changing.

Athletes who set and achieve goals almost always experience spikes in self-confidence, adding yet another reason why goal setting is so vitally important to sport success.  Interestingly, there is another often overlooked contributor to self-confidence — simply being prepared.

Preparing for success

Athletes who take the time to prepare their routines, training programs, position assignments, diet and rest schedules, and other related aspects to competition increase their self-confidence, and chances for success as a result.  Preparation refines focus and motivation, as well as mitigates many would-be surprises from the competition as well (meaning the process of preparing usually uncovers potential problems ahead of time).

Think of it this way — an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure when it comes to preparing for success.  The reality is that it takes very little time to plan out daily schedules and update goal progress, yet only a small percentage of athletes discipline themselves enough to do this regularly.  When I work with athletes looking to improve mental toughness and athletic success, I often remind them that while we don’t control how tall we grow or how high we jump, we do have 100% control over our work ethic, which includes taking a few minutes each day to refine our preparation.

Tips to get started

  • Embrace the importance of preparation and refrain from looking at it as “busy work.”
  • Set specific, measurable, controllable goals and trek your progress by keeping a daily journal.
  • Prepare for your future success by paying attention to all the variables that impact success, even the perceived little pieces like getting enough rest and eating a balanced diet.
  • If you are great at preparation, remind yourself of this as it can be a big help when competing against others who might be more physically gifted or talented.

www.drstankovich.com

Stream peak performance videos right to your phone — click here for more details!

Coaching, confidence, mental, psychology, sport, toughness

  • Author
  • Comments
  • Details
Get to Know the Author

Dr. Chris Stankovich

Dr. Stankovich has written/co-written five books, including Positive Transitions for Student Athletes, The ParentsPlaybook, Mind of Steel.

Latest Blog Posts

  • June 5, 2023 What is Happening to Recreation Youth Sports in America?
  • May 23, 2023 Breaking Down the Stages of Youth Sports
  • May 16, 2023 Mental Health Tips to Help Kids Avoid Sport Burnout
  • May 10, 2023 Watch for these Issues with Kids Playing Multiple Sports During Same Season
  • May 4, 2023 Understanding the Importance of a Balanced Athletic Identity for Kids

Comments are closed.

PREVIOUS POST

The Athlete’s Mind: IMAGERY

NEXT POST

The Athlete’s Mind: GOAL SETTING

Category

Amateur , Athletes , Athletic Counseling , Boys Sports , Coaching , College , Confidence , Evaluating Talent , Girls Sports , Habit Change , Leadership , Leadership and Role Modeling , Life , Mental Toughness , Performance Enhancement , Playing Time , Prep , Pro , Pro and College Sports , Sport Psychology , Sports Parenting , Sports Performance Science , Training and Development , Uncategorized , Youth and Interscholastic Sports , Youth Sports

Tags

Coaching, confidence, mental, psychology, sport, toughness

  • Recent Posts
  • Most Read
  • What is Happening to Recreation Youth Sports in America?
  • Breaking Down the Stages of Youth Sports
  • Mental Health Tips to Help Kids Avoid Sport Burnout
  • Watch for these Issues with Kids Playing Multiple Sports During Same Season
  • Understanding the Importance of a Balanced Athletic Identity for Kids
  • Morning Sports Practice Before School is Becoming the Norm, but is this Healthy for Kids?
  • Nature or Nurture? Exploring the Psychology of Sport Success
  • Breaking Down the Stages of Youth Sports
  • 3 Important Tips for Today's Multi-Sport, Youth Sport Athlete
  • Understanding Intelligence: Putting Knowledge into ACTION!
  • The Sports Doc on TV

    Catch Dr. Stankovich’s tv, radio, and print interviews and columns here!

    Dr. Chris Stankovich Watch Videos
  • Sport Performance Assessment

    Dr. Chris Stankovich Quickly and accurately test your level of mental toughness in just a few minutes using the Sport Performance Assessment.

    (SPA), an easy-to-use sport psychology system specially designed to help you REACH YOUR FULL ATHLETIC POTENTIAL.

    learn more
  • SportsSuccess360

    Life strategies for performance and character development for coaches, parents, and student athletes competing in youth and interscholastic sports.

    Life Strategies learn more
  • Contact Dr. Stankovich

    1395 Grandview Avenue Suite 6, Columbus OH 43212

    (614) 561-4482
    Media & General Inquiries
    information@drstankovich.com
    Sales & Product Support
    sales@drstankovich.com
  • About Dr. Stankovich

    • Media
    • Blog
    • Testimonials
  • Products

    • Toolkits
    • Videos
    • Books
    • Audio
    • iPhone Apps
  • Services

    • Athlete Performance Training
    • Parent Community Forum
    • Coach Education & Development
    • Athletic Crisis Response and Intervention
    • Drug & Alcohol Assessment
    • Life Success Programs
    • Counseling & Consulting Services
  • Blog
  • YouTube
  • twitter
  • facebook

All rights reserved © 2023 Advanced Human Performance Systems™

↓ ↓