"Confidence is a factor that can influence an athlete’s performance in remarkable ways. It can cause the cocky to make tactical and strategic errors. The lack of it can mess with the performance of talented athletes because they fail to channel their focus in the most effective manner – or worse – they give less than their best in the effort….because it won’t matter anyway. There are many choices each athlete must make from the very beginning of their season throughout each and every competition. These choices can make a pivotal difference in who succeeds and who doesn’t." Dr. Stephen WalkerMany athletes have an “outside-in” orientation and base their confidence largely on external sources that are inconsistent or out of their control. Some of these "external" factors are: having recent success, a good week of practice, having a great warm-up, 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. All of these factors are "external" sources of confidence, in which the athlete has little or no control.
If an athlete’s confidence is based on "internal" factors, it is possible for him to feel confident despite any unfavorable external factors. There are five main components to developing "internal" confidence:
1. Belief in Method -- Know that your training method is the best one for you and work hard at your training method.
2. Positive Self-Talk -- Remind yourself of your strengths and successful past performances.
3. Positive Visualization -- Mentally practice good execution and successful performance in advance of competition.
4. Trust -- This is the opposite of doubt, worry, and fear. Know that your ability, preparation, and strategies which you have practiced and visualized will yield positive results.
5. Mapmaking -- Set specific, clear, and measurable goals of what you would like to accomplish.
The central theme to each of these elements is the athletes’ will to choose.
