How can an athlete play with full confidence every day? This is the million dollar question.
The solution is generally a combination of breaking free from their fears, shifting their perspectives about confidence, & personalizing the fundamental CEP strategies to clarify and find their game.
But in this blog I’m sharing a new simple mental model that I’ve used with high-level athletes, including NHL players, that has helped them make a clear distinction of what type of confidence they bring on game day.
This has helped them unlock a stronger and more consistent level of confidence.
The 3 Tiers of Confidence
Every athlete falls somewhere on a confidence spectrum when they compete. You’re either in fear mode, have cautious confidence, or have full confidence.
- Fear Mode: You’re hesitant, second-guessing, and playing to avoid mistakes. Your mind is filled with doubts, and you’re playing with tension rather than trust — which is terrible for results.
- Cautious Confidence: You feel somewhat confident, but you’re still holding back. You make plays, but only when they feel safe. You’re stuck in the middle – not in fear mode, but not fully unleashed either. So your results are moderate at best.
- Full Confidence: This is where you trust your skills, commit to your decisions, and go after it every shift. You’re playing freely, fully engaged, and not afraid to make mistakes. It’s only here where you attack with complete certainty that you will perform consistently at your capabilities.
Where Most Athletes Get Stuck
A lot of players make the mistake of thinking that cautious confidence is enough. They tell themselves, “I’ll go for it sometimes.” But that’s not how you maximize your impact.
Cautious confidence is a mental comfort zone for many athletes. They feel they have confidence. They know they are not in full fear mode. And they are making some plays.
The problem is they are not fully trusting themselves and, therefore, are not fully committed to playing their game.
Full confidence does not mean to be reckless and take unnecessary risks. It means to play your game, attack with conviction, and fully trust your capabilities.
So when we show players this diagram a light bulb often clicks and they realize they were not playing with full confidence but actually they have been in the caution confidence zone.
This self-awareness is the key to making a shift.
It enables you to finally make the clear choice to stop tip-toeing around confidence and, instead, fully commit to owning all your capabilities and playing your game without hesitation.
How to Flip the Switch
The goal is to be able to show up and attack the game with full confidence day-in and day-out. To do that, you need to have a mental process to flip the switch and get dialed in on game day. That’s what our four fundamental strategies are all about:
- Alter Ego — Get clarity and certainty on who you want to be and how you want to show up.
- Reset Routine — The mental routine to clear the noise, overcome adversity, and get dialed in on game day.
- Personal Scorecard — Create your own definition of success based on your process to optimize your reflection process and engrain an optimal mindset.
- Mental Preparation — Optimize your game day routines – including a personalized visualization routine.
These strategies do take work but when you compare how much time and energy you put into your physical and technical preparation vs your mental preparation — they are a no brainer to help ensure you play with full confidence.
Don’t waste all the physical and technical preparation by not putting in the work on your mental game.
Your Next Step
If you’ve been feeling stuck in cautious confidence, this is your call to break out of it. Commit to attacking. Play with full confidence. Trust yourself.
You’ve put in the work. Now it’s time to let it show.
Full confidence. Every play. Let’s go.
Nicholas is a Senior High-Performance Coach and holds a doctorate in Sport & Exercise Psychology. From his specialized psychology research program, to his PhD studies, Nicholas has gained a tremendous foundation of knowledge and appreciation for the human experience. His passion for psychology has accumulated to a commitment to studying and applying performance psychology and stoicism. This commitment has led Nicholas to conduct many research studies focusing on understanding why and how some people thrive and prosper while others do not. His admiration for evidence-based solutions has propelled Nicholas to produce studies revolving around mindfulness, grit (perseverance and passion), performance, quality participation, social relationships, and well-being.
A Native of Quebec, Sara was part of the St. Lawrence University Women’s Ice Hockey team that competed in the NCAA Division 1 hockey league ECAC. During this time, Sara helped her team appear in four ECAC Hockey Tournaments and two NCAA Frozen Fours, and was a four-time member of the ECAC Hockey All-Academic Squad. Following her career at St. Lawrence University, Sara played one year of professional hockey with Lugano, where she truly honed her skills in understanding the intricate connection between mindset and performance.
Blair has over 13 years of experience as a Professional Dancer, Assistant Dance Captain & Cast Manager, as well as an additional 17 years of training. Over the last 3 decades, she has lived and experienced first hand the highest of highs & lowest of lows that come with pursuing a career in the Performing Arts.
Natasha Habert draws from her training in sport and performance psychology, personal experiences as a competitive athlete, and deep passion for consistent high performance. She is a lifelong athlete and high performer, excelling in volleyball as both a player and coach.
Luciano’s hockey career is highlighted by his time playing college at the University of Victoria and two professional seasons in Europe. Throughout his career, he struggled with performance anxiety, a lack of consistency, fluctuations in confidence, and being caught in the results trap. This eventually led him to deviate from the main reason why anyone should play sports – for the enjoyment of the game. As a former athlete, Luciano has a unique understanding of the psychological pressures and struggles that athletes experience.
Alexis Woloschuk is a name synonymous with mental fortitude in the world of professional hockey. Throughout her career originating playing boys hockey, going to an academy away from home, playing her four years at Boston University and 7+ years in pro hockey she’s learned the importance of resilience, confidence, and dismissing both fear and other’s opinions. With a blend of relatability, confidence, and an acute understanding of playing to one’s potential, Alexis helps athletes reshape the way they perceive and harness the power of their minds.
Sean Mahoney is a member of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP), and a Master’s candidate in the Sport and Performance Psychology program at the University of Denver. For as long as he can remember, Sean has been fascinated by human performance and how to gain an edge over the competition. For most of his athletic career, he focused on the physical aspect of performance but neglected the mental. Because of this, he struggled with performance anxiety, focus issues, and limiting beliefs pertaining to confidence and self-doubt. His lack of focus on optimizing his mental game prevented him from reaching his full potential.
Savannah Fitzgerald is earning her M.A. in Kinesiology, Sport Psychology Option at California State University, Fresno. Possessing an internal motor that fires her rage for success, Savannah forged this attribute over five years while competing as an NCAA D-I water polo player and swimmer. Combined with her opportunity to represent and compete for the United States, she feels that sport has significantly impacted her professional development. Due to her personal experience playing at all levels, Savannah’s passion for mental performance began when she struggled to overcome pre-competition nerves and post-competition processing. When she discovered a world out there that people were referring to as ‘sport psychology,’ she felt like a piece of her brain was unlocked. Reality shifted as she stumbled into a space consisting of the most beautiful blend of elite performance, mental well-being, and athletics.
Gabe is currently completing his Master’s in Counselling Psychology at the University of Victoria. Although Gabe played several years of high-level baseball, including a stint in the British Columbia Premier Baseball League (BCPBL), he chose hockey as his sport to pursue at the highest level possible. Gabe went on to play four years of junior hockey with the Richmond Sockeyes in the Pacific Junior Hockey League (PJHL) while also coaching minor hockey. Prior to junior hockey, Gabe played 3 years in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL) where he experienced the pressures and expectations of moving on to the next level. During those three years, Gabe constantly compared himself to others and struggled with coping when things did not go his way. Over time, he learned how to focus on his own process and path to the next level, while also developing strategies to improve well-being.
Louie is a mental performance coach from Toronto, Canada with a professional hockey career spanning over 14 years. Being a standout player at the University of Michigan, Louie was a Hobey Baker finalist and a 1st team All-American, which led him to getting drafted by the Ottawa Senators and playing in renowned leagues across the globe, including the DEL, SHL, and AHL.
Mia Landry is a former varsity hockey player at Brock University, where she competed at the USPORT level and was part of the 2021-22 OUA gold medal team. Mia currently represents Canada on the Women’s National Ball Hockey team and is pursuing a Master of Kinesiology Sport Psychology at her alma mater. Her research focuses on areas such as team cohesion, group dynamics, leadership styles, and sports culture.
As a former member of McMaster University’s women’s soccer team, Emilie intimately understands the demands and challenges athletes face on and off the field. Although she encountered many challenges as a high-level athlete, particularly struggling with self-doubt and overthinking, Emilie was able to make a remarkable transformation when she began to embrace the principles of sports psychology.
Max is currently attending William James College, where he is earning a Doctorate Degree in Clinical Psychology and a Masters Degree in Professional Psychology. During his time as an undergraduate student, Max was inducted into the International Honor Society in Psychology (Psi Chi), and played on the Quinnipiac University men’s club ice hockey team.
