What you need to know to develop your confidence
Confidence
What it is and how to improve yours!
“Confidence is the degree of certainty individuals possess about their ability to be successful in sport”
Confidence seems to be the X factor that all teams look for. Whether this is in traditional sports, business or esports, high confidence is sought by many organisations. We glorify the performer that enters any situation with the belief they can face whatever task is in front of them. We view this performer as one who is unshakeable in the face of adversity, walking with their shoulders back, chest up, and their head held high. Confidence is one of the markers that we most admire about people and we often view it as the difference between good and great.
Trait and state confidence
There are two types of confidence: Trait and state confidence.
Trait confidence refers to the degree the performer usually believes they possess the ability to be successful in their sport; that is, a more natural sense of confidence that is independent of the situation. When we think about high trait confidence we think about athletes like Muhammad Ali and Conor McGregor. These fighters are notorious for telling audiences how successful they will be in an upcoming bout. They’d detail how they would outperform their opponent, outlining their superior ability and predicting the way their victory would unfold. These performers seem to believe in their abilities and skills no matter the opponent or situation.
On the other side we have state confidence; this confidence refers to the degree the performer believes they can be successful at a particular moment. For example, a VALORANT player may have mid to high state confidence the night before the VALORANT kickoff tournament. However, they can experience low state confidence just before they go on stage. Some performers don’t necessarily experience high confidence in all moments of competition, and we need to appreciate that the degree of confidence a performer possesses may be different in certain moments.
Sources of confidence
Robin Vealey and other colleagues identified several sources of confidence that can be used to build stable and lasting confidence (and even motivation) in sport. I have used these sources to help guide my understanding of what influences an esport performer's confidence, and how we can manipulate them to build and maintain confidence. The sources of confidence are as follows:
Luck - This source is quite self-explanatory. Some performers may feel that if the conditions are favourable for them, they’ll feel more confident about success. For example, in FIFA, if you believe the game is on your side (50/50s going your way and no animation glitches), you’re more likely to feel confident.
Mastery experiences - This refers to the performer mastering and/or improving their skills. For example, in Rocket League you have been playing a lot of ranked and have improved your boost management and air dribbling. Noting and appreciating the mastery of this skill can help build and maintain your confidence.
Coach’s leadership - This is the performer’s belief in the coach’s ability as a leader and decision maker. For example, in League of Legends, if you view your coach as being knowledgeable in their picks and bans, and they know how to best utilise the team’s selection of champions, you will likely experience greater confidence.
Environmental comfort - This refers to feeling comfortable in the competitive environment. For example, feeling comfortable at a LAN venue like Arena Birmingham for an ESL One Dota 2 tournament. The more comfortable you are in this environment, the more confident you feel.
Watched experiences - This involves gaining confidence from watching other people succeed. For example, if you were to compete as a squad in a Fortnite Champion Series (FNCS) event and had seen one of your teammates secure a victory, you may experience an increase in confidence about your own success.
Mental and physical preparation - This simply refers to the degree the person feels mentally and physically prepared. For example, as a competitor in the Street Fighter V Capcom Pro Tour, you may choose to engage in a pre-performance routine involving warm-up games and a centering exercise before official games begin. Future articles will look into explaining why this specific routine can also aid performance.
Demonstrating ability - This is a source of confidence where the performer views the situation as an opportunity to demonstrate the skills and experience they have gained. For example, in VALORANT, you may view an upcoming competition as an opportunity to show your superior fragging ability over your opponent.
Social support - This is where the performer feels they are supported by significant people in their circle, whether that be coaches, family or teammates. For example, in CS2 (Counter-Strike 2) knowing that you have your teammates and coaches available for support can bolster your confidence heading into the PGL CS2 major.
Physical presentation - This is all about how the performer perceives their physical self. You may ask themself, “do I look good?”, or, “am I looking healthy and fit?”. In esports this can even refer to the team kit you’re wearing; “does this team kit make me look fresh?”. Feeling good physically can have profound effects on confidence.
Please note that not all sources of confidence are created equally. One performer may find mastery experiences, physical and mental preparation, and demonstrating ability more important sources of their confidence than others. Another performer may find physical presentation, luck and coach’s leadership as more important sources. As a performer, it’s vital that you understand which sources of confidence are important to you, and subsequently devise ways to use this in your favour. If it’s mastery experiences, then developing goals that focus on skill enhancement and mastery may be necessary, such as spray control or peak discipline in VALORANT. If it’s watched experiences, it would be useful to have a video folder filled with successful performances of either yourself or people you know and admire.
Summary
To summarise, confidence is of course desirable. There are two types of confidence — trait and state. There are several sources that can influence the development and maintenance of confidence; however, we need to appreciate what our important sources of confidence are. Don’t spend your time trying to copy the behaviours of other people. Just like your fingerprint, your performance journey is unique to you. Find what works best for you.