The connection between confidence and performance is profound. In fact, research has found that an athlete’s level of confidence can be the distinguishing factor between success and failure. That is not to say that successful athletes do not experience self-doubts or off days; these athletes know how to re-channel that negativity into positive energy. As former long-time tennis champion Jimmy Connors remarked,
“The whole thing is never to get negative about yourself. Sure, it’s possible that the other guy you’re playing is tough and that he may have beaten you the last time you played, and okay, maybe you haven’t been playing all that well yourself. But the minute you start thinking about these things you’re dead. I go out every match convinced that I am going to win. That’s all there is to it.”
Weinberg, 1988, p. 127
Fast forward twenty-three years and confidence is just as integral to peak performance with current athletes and elite performers. For those of you interested in gaining more insight on this complex interconnection, I recommend The New York Times article, What the Circus can Teach us About Sports:
Weinberg, R.S. (1988). The mental advantage: Developing your psychological skills in tennis. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
