Fitness & Wellness
Building self-confidence — The key to bringing out an athlete's best
With a pinch of self-confidence and self-belief, one can do wonders. In sports, this kind of mindset goes a long way in bolstering the spirit and paving the way for positive results.
Indian Women's Hockey Team. (Photo credit: @TheHockeyIndia/X)
The Indian women's hockey team held their own in a 1-1 draw against England - the team they lost their Tokyo Olympics bronze medal to, in their 2022 Women's Hockey World Cup opening encounter that too without the charismatic Rani Rampal.
This is a big sign heralding how far the women in blue have evolved in the past few years. Rani Rampal, in 2018, talked about achieving success against top-ranked nations in major competitions around the world and how the Indian women were no more considered underdogs. She has also time and again spoken about how the increased self-confidence and self-belief of the girls was going to be a game-changer for their performance in future tournaments.
It was there to be seen with their rise in the World Rankings and most notably at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics last year. The Indian women registered a historic win over Australia in the quarterfinals at Tokyo, before missing out on the podium by a whisker following a 3-4 loss against Great Britain in the bronze medal match.
It is quite commonly understood how victories and positive outcomes bolster our inner self-confidence. We have all been there, done that, and experienced it personally. But have you thought about the other way round?
Self-confidence and self-belief are quintessential to delivering a good performance of any kind, in any field. Be it in sport, art, work or personal life. A great demonstration of it can be found in the sporting arena, over and over again.
We hear in many interviews during the frenzied IPL season where players talk about backing themselves and their skills while snatching victories in the face of near-impossible odds.
What do these stories tell us about human accomplishment?
An authentic sense of inner belief about one's potential sends bursts of positivity within, and this frame of mind is very useful in opening up your thinking and decision-making processes. This has been well researched and summarised in the work of Dr Barbara Fredrickson, Professor of Psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Simply put, when we are down, our focus and worldview become very narrow and centred on what is bothering us. And when the mind is filled with positive emotions, we are open to receiving, curious and ready. It is a no-brainer now as to which state we want to be in to get the best out of ourselves. Self-confidence is a major personality trait that helps to bring in this positivity inside.
As a mind coach, self-confidence is one of the most sought-after coaching goals with my clients, both athletes and corporate professionals. And it is no wonder because a strong sense of self underlies our ability to handle pressure, stretch our limits, and make way for true self-expression without being inhibited by external perceptions.
The author is a peak performance and executive coach who works with elite athletes, mid to senior executives, entrepreneurs and young adults in building leadership abilities, self confidence, high performance capabilities, mental toughness and resilience.
