How To Be Confident With Sports

Sports are often hailed as a way to help build confidence in children and adults alike, but the same sports can cause your confidence to take a hit when you're faced with the prospect of losing. Competition easily builds confidence when you're constantly on top, but building confidence when you've been defeated is the key to using athletics as a method to boost and maintain confidence. Before you sign up for a competitive sport, consider the lessons you'll learn in both winning and losing.

Step 1

Register for a sport in which you know you already have some ability. If you've never attempted gymnastics but you're a fair street basketball player, starting with basketball helps build your confidence to try other sports and events in the future. By starting with a sport you're already proficient in, you build your confidence based upon your current abilities.

Step 2

Practice with your team or on your own frequently. Being prepared helps you to feel in control during game play. When you're confident in your skills, it shows in competition. Remember that it's always better to execute sharp basics than sloppy tricks. Work on the basics of the sport of your choice so you feel more confident when it's time to play.

Step 3

Welcome the challenge of a difficult opponent. Even if you don't feel confident in winning against a rival, confidence in your performance is possible. Ignore the thought of losing and instead give yourself to the process of competing. While you cannot control the outcome of a certain competition, you control the way you react and play so you feel confident in your performance.

Step 4

Adopt a positive attitude when it comes to both winning and losing in sports. While no one actively likes losing, learning from your losses is what makes you a stronger player. After suffering a loss, choose three key factors that contributed to the loss and work on improving those factors during practice. Always choose factors that you can work on personally, since blaming your loss on bad officials cannot be changed.

Step 5

Make realistic statements about your preparation and performance in sport. Unrealistic self-talk is the root of low self-confidence. For instance, noting that you "never win," or that "everyone is better" are statements that are negative and likely untrue. Instead of focusing on the all-encompassing negative, work on recognizing your positive impact, such as "I'm great under pressure" or "I excel at free throws."