Improving Confidence in Female Athletes: Not Always Rainbows and Positive Self Talk

30 Apr Improving Confidence in Female Athletes: Not Always Rainbows and Positive Self Talk

Every female athlete wants to feel good.

She wants to feel at her best and confident.

How does she accomplish this?

Hint: it’s not from affirmation. Sure, this can be a sprinkle to building confidence, but it’s not the difference maker.

Sadly, many youth female athletes are seeking confidence in the wrong places. They’re looking for that quick tip. They’re looking for techniques that promise confidence with the bat of an eyelash. They’re looking for motivation on Instagram and TikTok. They’re looking for a dopamine hit to feel better about themselves for a fleeting moment.

The reality is, confidence births from being good at what you do, and plugging away at it for YEARS.

Girls become such masters of their craft, so prepared, in fact over prepared, in their sports skills and physical abilities that come game time…nothing phases them.

Confidence manifests when the physical body has done its job – the motor skills have been trained enough so the brain can process information and execute in a competitive, high stakes setting. The highest performing athletes are confident because they put in thousands of reps to improve their skills, to bolster their speed, to get strong, and to be conditioned. They have done the preparation when no one is watching. It’s not the affirmations that they’re relying on because they’ve put in the work, the muscle memory, and trained in high pressure environments – environments that are a tougher stimulus than the game. Being comfortable and feeling good are not a high enough stimulus to prepare for battle.

To that end, improving confidence is not always rainbows and positive self talk. It’s doing the hard, daily habits, being competitive, going the extra mile, and not being entitled. It’s about having a stringent routine to get good at your sport. It’s about avoiding distractions. It’s about being the most skilled, strongest, most nourished, most well slept, most hydrated version of you. Nail these down…and confidence soars.

Mind you, when girls become this unstoppable, skilled and athletic version of themselves, they’re also helping their team.

And this is what it’s all about. Service to others.

Check out my most recent video on YouTube on why positive self talk isn’t the answer for female athlete confidence. Instead, it’s the icing on the cake, not THE cake.

For a guide book on training the youth female athlete, get The Strong Female Athlete HERE

For detailed programming based on training age, maturity, and in-season of off-season, sign up for one of The Strong Female Athlete online training subscriptions HERE