Confidence is one of the most talked-about — and misunderstood — qualities in sports. Everyone wants their athletes to “play with confidence,” but few can clearly explain what that actually means, where it comes from, or how to help athletes build it when it’s missing.
Confidence isn’t magic. It’s not reserved for extroverts. And it doesn’t depend on winning or praise. In fact, relying on results or compliments as the only fuel for confidence sets athletes up for inconsistency and burnout.
True confidence is something deeper, something sturdier — and something every athlete can build.
What Confidence Is (And What It Isn’t)
At its core, confidence is the belief that you can meet the demands of the moment.
It’s not arrogance. It’s not pretending. And it’s not about being fearless. Confident athletes still get nervous. They still feel pressure. But they know how to stay steady and take action anyway.
Confidence allows athletes to:
- Take smart risks
- Stay aggressive, even after mistakes
- Lead with calm presence
- Trust their preparation and training
- Recover quickly when things don’t go their way
On the flip side, a lack of confidence often shows up as hesitation, second-guessing, and playing “not to mess up.” It limits potential, creates fear, and makes athletes focus more on avoiding failure than going after success.
Where Confidence Actually Comes From
Most athletes believe confidence comes from one of three things:
- Winning or success
- Compliments or external praise
- “Feeling good” on a particular day
While all of these can boost confidence temporarily, none of them are reliable sources. Why? Because they’re all external and mostly out of the athlete’s control. Confidence that depends on outcomes, opinions, or mood will always be fragile.
Real confidence — the kind that holds up under pressure — is built from within.
Here are the four most consistent and trainable sources of confidence:
1. Preparation
Nothing builds confidence like knowing you’ve put in the work. Athletes who come to practice, stay focused, take reps seriously, and show up consistently start to trust themselves. Why? Because they’ve seen themselves do hard things.
Coach Tip: Talk often about preparation. Highlight habits, not just results. Say things like “Your focus this week is why you’ll be ready this weekend.”
2. Self-Talk
The way athletes talk to themselves matters. Every athlete has an internal voice — and it’s either building confidence or chipping away at it.
Coach Tip: Model confident language. Say things like, “This is tough, but you’re capable,” or “Mistakes don’t define you — your next play does.”
3. Reps in Hard Situations
Confidence doesn’t come from avoiding adversity. It comes from moving through it. Athletes who learn how to stay composed in tough moments — and keep showing up — begin to trust their resilience.
Coach Tip: Use challenge as a tool. When things get hard, tell your athletes, “This is where confidence is built.”
4. Identity and Self-Awareness
Athletes who know who they are — and believe they are more than their last stat or outcome — have deeper, more stable confidence.
Coach Tip: Reinforce identity. Remind athletes they’re more than performers. Help them connect effort and attitude to their role as leaders, teammates, and people.
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Neurofuel is the Preferred High Performance Mental Training Platform of the JVA. JVA has teamed up with NeuroFuel to help you build mentally strong athletes and teams. Learn how to get your team started here.
Neurofuel is a mental training platform designed to help athletes learn about and train the mental techniques proven to help individuals perform to their potential more often in the moments that matter most. Used by more than 1,200 teams and over 23,000 athletes, Neurofuel supports athletes, coaches, and teams in achieving peak performance mindset and long-term personal growth. Learn more at www.neurofuelapp.com/