Have you ever found yourself on the free throw line, with no time left on the clock and your team down by one? If you have, you might recall the nervous excitement that can accompany being placed in a pressure situation. Do you remember what you were thinking? What about how your body felt? Do you remember whether or not you made those crucial free throws? Chances are, if you have been playing basketball for any length of time, you have been faced with a situation similar to this. If you haven’t, you can rest assured that it won’t be long before you are. No matter what kind of pressure situation you are placed in, it is the way in which you feel about it that is the most important factor. For some people, having the outcome of the game rest on their shoulders may be anxiety-provoking, while others may see it as a wonderful and exciting challenge. What makes players feel so differently about the same situation is the amount of confidence each has in her ability when asked to perform “under fire”. It follows, then, that all athletes should spend a few minutes considering what can be done in order to enhance one’s confidence. After all, you spend hours in the gym practicing your shot, why wouldn’t you decide to work on your self-confidence as well?

The following suggestions for improving self-confidence are proven tips and techniques utilized by some of the worlds most successful athletes.

1) Think confidently- a positive attitude is essential for reaching your potential. If you find yourself thinking negative thoughts (e.g. I can’t believe I just got beat to the basket, I can’t keep up with this girl!), immediately stop yourself and replace them with positive ones. These replacement thoughts should be motivational and instructional (e.g. I can do this. I just need to keep my butt down and shuffle my feet). In this way, you are encouraging yourself and focusing on the specific athletic skill that you need to improve.

2) Act confident, even when you don’t feel it. There is an old saying, “Fake it ‘til you make it”. In other words, the more confident you act, the more confident you will eventually feel. Displaying confidence at all times is especially important because you lose your competitive edge when your opponent sees your confidence deflate. Next time you start to experience that nagging sense of self-doubt on the court, hold your head up high, relax your facial muscles, and roll your shoulders back. Before you know it, you will be feeling every bit as strong and self- assured as you appear.

3) Use mental imagery- Envision yourself doing things well or completing difficult tasks that you have previously been unable to do. Imagining a successful outing will evoke the feelings and sensations that accompany a winning performance and this will help place you in the proper mindset to perform at your best.

4) Prepare, prepare, prepare- whether it’s physical preparation and conditioning, having an efficient technical strategy, or planning for all possible game-related scenarios, the more prepared you are when entering a contest, the more likely it is that you will meet with success.

Remember, successful behavior increases confidence and leads to further successful behavior. If you act and think confidently, use mental imagery and optimize your physical conditioning and preparation, you will be on your way to peak performance in no time. Who knows, maybe you will even wind up as a hero in the process!