How to Maintain Confidence When Not Playing Well
In this week’s sports psychology podcast, mental game of sports expert Dr. Patrick Cohn talks with Dr. Megan.
Dr. Megan is new at Peak Performance Sports. She is the lead mental coach specializing in working with youth and high school athletes in various sports.
In this podcast, they will answer a question from our most recent survey:
“How do you have stable confidence during a game so it doesn’t go up and down with every mistake or problem?”
Do you have athletes that tend to get on the confidence roller coaster when they make mistakes or are challenged in games and their confidence tends to go up and down rapidly?
COHN: Dr. Megan, how may confidence change during competition?
MEGAN: Fragile confidence is definitely an issue in sports, as I see it all the time in volleyball as a player and a coach. You can see it all over their face and their body language. They doubt themselves… They don’t trust their ability so they pull themselves out.
COHN: This is a number 1 problem for athletes… They have this yo-yo syndrome with their confidence. When they are performing well, their stable with confidence but when one or two mistakes come, it is like someone took a pin and burst their confidence bubble.
COHN: Is it really fair to yourself to lose all of your confidence you have been working on after one or two mistakes in competition?
How can athletes maintain their confidence when they are not at their best?
Listen to this week’s podcast to learn what mental game tips Dr. Cohn and Dr. Megan give to athletes about how they can maintain their confidence when they aren’t playing their best:
Related Sports Psychology Articles
- Do You Or Your Team Have The Comeback Mindset?
- How to Grow Competition Confidence
- How Preparation Boosts Confidence
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