I’ve always been a firm believer in mind over matter. If you don’t believe you can achieve, your body will start to believe this, and you’ll be stuck.
WNBA star Sheryl Swoopes.

Any three point shot or stifling defensive stuff in the game of basketball begins with the player’s belief in their ability to dominate their opponent. Mental toughness in basketball stems a player believing they possess what it takes to be successful. Sports psychology promotes the idea that all athletes establish a routine that addresses overall mental toughness by developing personal confidence. Learning strategies that strengthen confidence enhances overall mental toughness for basketball, and ultimately drastically improves performance on the court.

One thing is certain. If you don’t believe you can beat your opponent, or win the game, or even make the shot, then most assuredly you will not. Preparation and practice, both mental and physical builds the ability to face adversity and thus nurtures overall personal confidence. Learn to focus on small goals that lead to larger accomplishments, and this keeps your focus and mindset positive. Many times a lack of confidence stems from a fear of failure.

LeBron James offered his best advice when facing adversity, “Don’t be afraid of failure. This is the way to succeed.”

But truly, how can that be true? The more you fail, the more you succeed? The understanding that ALL athletes fail helps to diminish worry, which paralyzes the basketball mental toughness and focus of a player. Sports psychology in basketball suggests a player reframe any negative situation into a possibility for a positive outcome.

Michael Jordan was one of the best at maintaining a positive mindset, and exemplified this attitude when he said, “I know fear is an obstacle for some people, but it is an illusion to me . . . Failure always made me try harder next time”.

Reflect on performance after every practice and game. Acknowledge any negative situation, but then deliberately focus your attention on a plan for improvement. Envision the perfect performance you desire, and release the negative memory from your thoughts.

Another fear that limits confidence is that of disappointing others. The athlete worries of letting down their coach, teammates, fans, family, etc. When a player’s concern rests on the fear of disappointing others it splinters the focus needed for peak performance. The mentally tough athlete pursues a focus on the present, with little worry about neither mistakes in the past, nor any outcome in the future. The truly focused athlete eliminates outside distractors allowing only positive thoughts to influence their performance.

Again, Michael Jordan states it best when he advises, “I would tell players to relax and never think about what’s at stake. Just think about the basketball game. If you start to think about who is going to win the championship, you’ve lost your focus.”

Finally, some athletes lose confidence in the pressure of a game situation. Mental Game Coaches stress the need to eliminate outside distractors from a player’s thoughts during a game, but this ability must be honed in every practice before any game situation. A successful athlete must learn to reframe negative thoughts and play into inspiring opportunities for improvement.

Kobe Bryant uses all adversity to empower his performance and explains, “Everything negative — pressure, challenges — are all an opportunity for me to rise.”