Video on the skill of self confidence

posted on: February 13, 2015
author: Brian Lomax, Ed.D.

Question for you:  do you view self confidence as a quality you either have or not, or do you believe that it is a skill that can be developed?  In the video below, Dr. Ivan Joseph suggests that it is the latter and he gives some suggestions on how you as a coach or athlete can improve that skill.  Given the necessity of self confidence relative to good performance, this 13 minute video should be “must see” viewing for all.

One of Dr. Joseph’s suggestions to build self confidence is the idea of repetition, repetition, repetition.  While I love that idea, I believe it’s important to be repeating the right combinations of skills/techniques/etc.  For example, for those athletes who are fixated on technical issues because they break down under pressure, simply repeating technique over and over again isn’t exactly correct.  You need to repeat the technique while at the same time practicing relaxation as a skill.  So the thing to repeat in this instance is technique and relaxation together.

Enjoy and let me know your thoughts in the comments!