Counterpoint: Lacking Confidence is Not Fixed By Focusing on Confidence
One of the biggest mistakes parents and coaches make when trying to help an athlete who lacks confidence is to focus too much on the fact that the athlete lacks confidence. Taking this approach will just reinforce the fact that the athlete lacks confidence. Which is exactly what you don’t want to do.
Lacking confidence is a symptom for another root problem. Moreover, finding and eliminating that root problem is how you will help an athlete who is lacking confidence. So, the first place to start is with the basic element that builds confidence, preparation.
With all things being equal, confidence is a direct by-product of how an athlete prepares. But not all preparation leads to confidence. Only preparation that leads to success will lead to confidence. This requires working to find the athlete’s unique path to success as everyone’s path to success is different. As a result, the athlete requires a knowledgeable coach to help them both find this unique path and customize their preparation for that unique path.
In addition to needing a knowledgeable coach to help an athlete with their preparation, the athlete also needs a sustainable source of energy to follow-through with the coach’s plan. This sustainable source of energy comes from motivation.
Therefore, to get to the root cause of an athlete’s lack of confidence you must focus on either the athlete’s coaching, or the athlete’s motivation. If you believe there is a good coaching plan in place, then focus on the athlete’s motivation. If you believe the athlete is showing enough motivation, then focus on the coaching plan.