“Leadership is a matter of having people look at you and gain confidence, seeing how you react. If you’re in control, they’re in control.” Tom Landry

So many athletes don’t understand what confidence is.

Most athletes only think of confidence as a collection of shallow clichés they learned from their college mentors: “Be yourself!” “Don’t be afraid to be who you are!”

That advice was fine when you were early in a football game, but it doesn’t cut it in today’s competitive football games.

What is confidence?

Confidence, especially football confidence, is the possession of the ability to increase the value of yourself and others around you.

Whatever you’re feeling at any given moment tends to show automatically in your body language.

Body language sends off messages that you may not be aware of. Your football mind is home to your emotions, so whatever you’re feeling at any given moment tends to show automatically in your body language.

Football confidence comes from knowledge and practice. The more experience you have, the more confident you will become.

What does it Mean to be Self-Confident?

Self-confidence is about trusting yourself and your ability to succeed at challenges, tasks, and opportunities.

According to sports psychology for football, self-confidence means “confidence in the athlete’s worth or abilities; self-respect.”

Therefore, self-confidence is how you evaluate and respect yourself. If you’re inclined to believe other people negative comments, your self-confidence may become low. However, remember, it is not what other people say about you; it is about what you think of yourself.

Understand you may not succeed initially, but you will improve with dedicated work. Realize everything is a process, as it requires time and effort.

Having self-confidence shows that your football mental toughness is strong.

You’re in charge of your life by taking extreme ownership and full responsibility for everything that happens in games.

What is Limiting Your Abilities?

It’s in your nature to live comfortably and away from danger because your brain is hardwired for survival.

It requires the courage to step out of your comfort zone and take risks to pursue what you want.

Self-confidence is an attribute all athletes can possess. You become self-confident by trying things and discovering that you can do them. The more you do them, the better you get.

Allow yourself to be a learner. Trust that it’s okay not to be perfect and focus on the process of becoming the best version of you

When breaking out of your comfort zone and starting something new, you are expanding your limitations. When you successfully complete something that is out of your comfort zone, you are building confidence in yourself.

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