The C Factor

Confidence. There are a lot of great definitions but I like this one:

" a feeling of self-assurance arising from one's appreciation of one's own abilities or qualities." One thing is for sure. You have to have it. In terms of competitive sports, you have to possess belief in yourself in order to be competitive. When I was a junior, I had a coach who called this the

"C" factor. His point was simple. Of all the factors that determine success or failure in competition, confidence is the most important.

There are a zillion quotes about confidence out there from all types of people. I found these particularly appropriate.

"Confidence comes not from always being right but from not fearing to be wrong." Ang Yen

"inhale confidence, exhale doubt" unknown

and

"One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation" from tennis and life legend, Arthur Ashe.

In our HP program, we talk about the fact that success breeds confidence, It is important to clarify with yourself- how you measure success. It needs to not be based on tournament results or scores, or wins over particular players, but from playing "the right way". That way is something YOU determine, based on what you are working on and what type of player you want to be. Measure success in small steps, as you move toward your achievable goals. Then let those little successes grow into confidence that you have conquered those little steps, and can continue to do so in the future.

My friend Larry Lauer, who is the Mental Skills Specialist for the USTA Player Development Program, developed a strategy called "breathe and believe". It is a practice to be used between points and changeovers to help a player accomplish two things:

1- to slow down, focus on your breathing and get your mind off of the missed shot, or tense point and aid your physical recovery

and

2- Believe! to remind you of your faith in your preparation, your strength under pressure, and your confidence in your own abilities.

So take the time to think about and work on your "C" Factor. And as the saying goes, "Stop wishing, and start doing". Learn to love the process, and you will love the results.