Confidence and Resilience · Dimension 13 of 20

Self-efficacy

Confidence in the ability to meet sporting demands, perform successfully and recover constructively when mistakes or setbacks occur.

Self-beliefConfidenceResiliencePerformance trust

13of 20 dimensions

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Understanding self-efficacy

Athletes perform more freely when they trust their ability to cope.

Self-efficacy is an athlete’s confidence in their ability to perform successfully in a particular sporting situation. It influences the challenges they accept, the effort they invest, their persistence and how they respond when performance becomes difficult.

Confidence is often strongest when it is grounded in previous successful performances and evidence from preparation. Consistent practice, gradual mastery, constructive coaching and clear feedback help athletes build a realistic belief that they can execute the required skills.

Self-efficacy can also be strengthened through imagery, helpful self-talk, relaxation and observing comparable athletes succeed. It is not certainty that everything will go well; it is trust in the ability to act effectively and recover when it does not.

Dimension video

Watch: Self-efficacy in sport

Explore how mastery, preparation, imagery and constructive thinking can build confidence that transfers into competition.

Self-efficacy in sport

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Why it matters

Self-efficacy affects choices, effort, persistence and recovery.

Committed performance

Belief in the ability to cope encourages decisive action, appropriate risk-taking and trust in well-practised skills.

Effort and persistence

Confident athletes are more willing to attempt difficult tasks, keep working and search for solutions when progress is slow.

Recovery from setbacks

Self-efficacy helps athletes interpret mistakes as manageable events rather than evidence that they cannot succeed.

How self-efficacy may appear

Look for patterns, not labels.

When self-efficacy is a strength

Approaches demanding situations with realistic confidence
Focuses on personal strengths and controllable actions
Trusts preparation and commits to decisions under pressure
Recovers quickly after errors and disappointing results
Persists when challenges require adjustment and repeated effort

When it may need development

Compares themselves unfavourably with opponents
Approaches competition expecting not to perform well
Allows doubts to interrupt attention and execution
Becomes discouraged or self-critical after mistakes
Avoids difficult tasks that might expose limitations

Balance matters: self-efficacy should be grounded in preparation and evidence. Unrealistic confidence can reduce preparation or hide development needs, while excessive doubt can prevent athletes from using abilities they genuinely possess.

Developing self-efficacy

Six practical ways to build stronger sporting confidence.

Build mastery evidence

Break demanding skills into achievable steps and record successful execution so progress becomes visible and credible.

Focus on your strengths

Avoid unhelpful comparison with opponents. Identify the skills, qualities and preparation you can bring to the contest.

Rehearse successful performance

Use vivid imagery to see and feel yourself handling key situations confidently, including recovering after an error.

Use constructive self-talk

Replace broad doubts with specific, believable reminders of preparation, capability and the next controllable action.

Reset after setbacks

Acknowledge what happened, extract the useful information and deliberately return attention to the task in front of you.

Use credible encouragement

Seek specific feedback from trusted coaches about what has improved, what is reliable and what preparation remains.

Create a confidence evidence bank

Collect five pieces of evidence that support your ability to perform: successful moments, completed preparation, useful coach feedback, improvements and setbacks you handled well. Review them before competition, then add fresh evidence afterward.

Explore the SPQ20 ↗

Self-efficacy in practice

Build confidence from evidence, then put it into action.

Previous success is a powerful source of confidence, but athletes should look beyond wins and losses. Completing difficult training, improving a skill, making a sound decision and recovering after a mistake are all evidence of developing capability.

Confidence becomes more resilient when it includes coping as well as execution. An athlete who trusts their ability to adapt after disruption does not need perfect circumstances in order to believe they can perform effectively.

“Belief in oneself is incredibly infectious. It generates momentum.”

Aimee Mullins · Athlete

“If you do not believe you can do it, then you have no chance at all.”

Arsène Wenger · Football coach

Discover your profile

Find out where you stand on Self-efficacy.

The SPQ20 measures Self-efficacy alongside 19 other personality and mental-skill dimensions to provide a connected picture of your mental game.

Assess my mental game ↗Learn about the SPQ20