Every athlete hits a slump in his/her career, because simply no one is perfect. Some people can bounce right back from a slump however there are some athletes that stay in a slump for a long time. There are all types of ways to build confidence as an athlete if things aren't going right. Most professional players and especially baseball players are very superstitious and if anyone follows baseball they know what I mean. For example if a hitter is in a bad slump they might change the way they wear their baseball pants, and another example that I'm not going to get into would be Jason Giambi that was pretty much all over sportscenter last year.
Some ways you could try to build confidence would be trying to focus on yourself and your team rather your opponent, and only thinking positive. Some professional athletes even fall back to seeing a sports psychologist using a technique called visualization or mental rehearsal which is a type of imagery(looking at pictures).
All athletes are different and have their own way to build confidence. Take Michael Jordan for example. He chewed a piece of gum before every game and sometimes during games, because he felt it built confidence. Another example would be Jaromir Jagr for people who follow hockey. Before the game he would visualize every play that he was going to make and for the most part it worked.
Another way to build confidence could be to look at the situation as starting with the glass half full. Think positively and be optimistic that you will play great next time you get on the field, court, ice, etc... And throughout the day just build that glass to full telling yourself you can "do it"
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This is very true Brendon I see it all the time with my team mates. I notice those trying different things when they get into a slump. For example they will listen to different music before a game or change there pre game regimen for whatever they where doing.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to succeed you most definately have to have confidence, high self efficacy and be very optimistic when going into an athletic event. Before a game I would always try to syke myself up with music or visualizing the win in someways, Good post Craig being condifent is essential in winning, but being over confident or to cocky can inhibit your abilities.
ReplyDeleteI believe that and agree with drew.. granted i do not play competitive sports through the college, but i have played basketball for many years. I have been through slumps where i do not want to play for a few weeks. The different styles of pre-game warm-ups and what not are the reasons why people succeed at different levels of sports. Their mentality and their preparation toward each game.
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