Coaching Confidence

Confidence is defined as the state of feeling certain about the truth of something. But whose truth? Is it internal or parental boosted? Does it come from coach support? Or peers? Is it nature or nurture?

Whatever the source self-confidence has been shown to make or break an athlete's performance. It enables intense concentration and focus, boosts effort, and allows for ever changing goals and performance expectations.

But since research shows that there is a strong connection between high self-confidence and positive performance, it is an important skill to hone. It is the secret sauce in a recipe of training, nutrition and hard work. So how do we improve something so inexplicable? Is it even possible?

Research indicates that confidence isn’t necessarily built from childhood, but by experience. Creating a skill set can help enhance self-confidence and boost faith in one self. Below are 9 ways to improve confidence in and out of the pool.