1. SELF-CONFIDENCE: The Key to Sport Success
Matt Vaartstra
University of Idaho
Edited from: Damon Burton

2. What is self-confidence?

3. SELF- CONFIDENCE DEFINED
True Self-Confidence – is a realistic belief or expectation of achieving success.
Self-Confidence is:
not what you hope to do but what you realistically expect to do
not what you tell others but your innermost thoughts about your realistic capabilities
not pride in past deeds but a realistic judgment about what you are able to do

4. SELF-ESTEEM AND SELF-EFFICACY
The perception of one’s ability to perform a task successfully.
Essentially, situation-specific self-confidence
Overall emotional evaluation of self-worth
Positive or negative evaluations of the self

5. Does self-confidence enhance performance?

6. SELF-CONFIDENCE ENHANCES PERFORMANCE
Mahoney & Avener (1976) 1976 Olympic qualifiers were more confident than nonqualifiers.
Feltz’ (1988) review found moderate to strong relationships between confidence and performance (i.e., mean r = .54).
Research finds a reciprocal relationship between self-confidence and performance.

7. HOW SELF-CONFIDENCE IMPACTS PERFORMANCE
Lowers anxiety by creating positive expectations of success
Increases motivation by raising perceived competence
Enhances concentration by eliminating distraction from negative thoughts and personal putdowns

8. What are the three types of self-confidence?

9. CONFIDENCE-PERFORMANCE RELATIONSHIP
Diffidence Optimal SC Overconfidence
PERF
SELF-CONFIDENCE

10. OPTIMAL SELF-CONFIDENCE
Competence -- possess the knowledge, strategies, skills, and abilities necessary for success.
Preparation – sufficiently prepared so you can successfully perform those skills and strategies in a particular competitive situation.

11. DIFFIDENT ATHLETES . . .
Confuse “what is” with what they “wish would be” or with what “ought to be”
See themselves as losers and act accordingly
Mistakes devastate their competence
Self doubts fuel self-fulfilling prophecies that create a vicious negative spiral
Focus on their shortcomings and overlook their accomplishments
Are underachievers whose confidence limits their development

12. TYPES OF OVERCONFIDENCE
Inflated confidence
False confidence

13. INFLATED CONFIDENCE
People who believe they are better than they really are and have an inflated opinion of themselves and their skills.
They overestimate their abilities while underestimating their opponents’ skills.
Pampering from parents/coaches, playing weak competition, and excessive media hype are its primary causes.
Often they are competent but don’t prepare adequately.

14. FALSE CONFIDENCE
Act confident on the outside but inside fear failure and are really diffident.
Pretend to be brash, cocky, and arrogant.
Difficulty admitting errors and filled with excuses.
Difficult to coach because they won’t accept responsibility for mistakes.
Normally prepare hard but lack the competence to be successful.

15. What is the difference between performance and outcome confidence?

16. PERFORMANCE- VERSUS OUTCOME CONFIDENCE
Performance Confidence – performers’ belief that they can execute the skills and strategies necessary to perform well and attain their goals.
Outcome Confidence – performers’ belief that they will socially compare well and win the competition.

17. What are some specific strategies you use to boost your self-confidence?

18. CONFIDENCE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES
General confidence development strategies.
Six confidence development tips for practitioners.
Strategies for developing and maintaining confidence during competition.

19. ENHANCING SELF-CONFIDENCE
Performance
Accomplishments
Behaviors
Vicarious
Experiences
Performance
Self-
Confidence
Verbal
Persuasion
Thoughts
Physiological
Arousal Control

20. GENERAL CONFIDENCE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES
Performance accomplishment
goal-setting – builds competence and preparation
Vicarious experiences
modeling/demonstrations
imagery
Verbal persuasion
reinforcement – enhances feelings of competence
self talk – confidence script
Arousal control
relaxation/energization

21. CONFIDENCE-DEVELOPMENT TIPS FOR PRACTITIONERS
Develop a systematic goal setting program and log and graph progress
Create a personal Hall-of-Fame
Design a systematic conditioning program and maximize preparation
Use effective modeling strategies
Replay past successes and imagine future triumphs
Emphasize confidence-building thoughts

22. How do you maintain your self-confidence during competition?

23. DEVELOPING & MAINTAINING COMPETITIVE CONFIDENCE
Appraise situations as challenges rather than threats
Develop readiness, performance and recovery plans to deal with problems
Emphasize problem-focused coping strategies to reduce threat
Use emotion-focused coping techniques to feel less threatened
Focus on more controllable process and performance goals

24. What is the self-fulfilling prophecy?

25. SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY
Self-Fulfilling Prophecies – occur when coaches’/teachers’ expectations prompt athletes/students to behave or perform in a way that conforms with those expectancies.
Rosenthal and Jacobson (1968) found that a group of students teachers believed were “academic late bloomers” made greater educational gains than did a control group for whom they had neutral expectancies.
Expectancies of teachers, coaches and parents can significantly raise or lower performers’ self-confidence.

26. Who creates self-fulfilling prophecies for you
Who creates self-fulfilling prophecies for you? Are these self-fulfilling prophecies positive or negative?

27. SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY MODEL

28. SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY PROCESS
STEP 1 – Coaches Develop Expectations
STEP 2 – Coaches’ Expectations Influence their Treatment of Athletes (i.e., frequency, duration, and quality of interactions)
STEP 3 – Athletes’ Learning and Performance Is Impacted by Differential Treatment
STEP Athletes’ Behavior Conforms to Coaches’ Expectations

29. STEP 1: COACHES FORM EXPECTATIONS
Person Cues
race
gender
socioeconomic status
size
body type
style of dress
Performance Information
conditioning and skills tests
previous performance history
evaluation of others
tryout information

30. STEP 2: DIFFERENTIAL EXPECTANCIES IMPACT COACHING BEHAVIORS
Type, frequency and warmth of interactions
Nature of instructional behaviors (e.g., skills taught, difficulty of skills, and persistence)
Nature of feedback behaviors (e.g., valence, specificity, and corrective content)
Attributions for success and failure

31. STEP 3: COACHES’ BEHAVIOR IMPACTS ATHLETES’ PERFORMANCE
Quantity and quality of learning
Quality of competitive cognitions and performance
Long-term development

32. STEP 4: ATHLETES’ PERFORMANCE CONFORMS WITH COACHES’ EXPECTATIONS
Athletes most susceptible to Self-Fulfilling Prophecy effects are . . .
younger
less experienced
lower in self-esteem
more coachable
value success more

33. SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECIES: POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE?
Fostering Learning Beliefs
“You really gave all your effort today, and it looked like you had fun playing!”
Fostering Capacity Beliefs
“You were the best player out there. Great job on the win!”
Can we use self-fulfilling prophecies as a positive developmental tool?

34. How do we maximize positive Self-Fulfilling Prophecy effects?

35. HOW TO MAXIMIZE POSITIVE SFP EFFECTS
Determine what sources of information are used to form expectations.
Realize initial expectancies may be inaccurate, requiring adjustment as performers skill changes.
Equalize skill-development time across athletes.
Provide all performers sufficient time to fully master skills.
Respond to errors with corrective instruction.
Focus on process as a means to attain product.
Develop good coach-athlete relationships.
Create a performance-oriented team climate.