havedone it once, and that they can do it again.All is easier said then done. Building self-confidence can be one of thehardest things an athlete has to do. This involves a great deal of mentalawareness and self-discipline. For it could take only one negative experience todestroy an athlete's ego. This is when the process of filtering comes into play.Filtering involves using negative experience in a positive way. Morespecifically an athlete must look at such experiences carefully and learn fromthem. They must not focus on the bad, but how it can help them in the future.For example, a basketball player who missed a foul shot that could have won thegame must not view the experience as I am a loser; he must say “My foul shootingneeds a little help.” In turn, this athlete should take a little time before andafter practice to drill this technique. By doing this he is not focusing on thenegative he is building towards a positive. This technique is very important tothe athlete who is looking to strive for peak performance. For an athlete whodwells on the negative aspects(3) of their performance will never appreciate or accentuate their positiveaspects. This in the long run will not allow them to develop to their fullpotential.A second technique in gaining self-confidence is a skill called self-talk. This is indeed a skill. This should be done when the athlete is spendingquiet time with themselves. This is the time when an athlete must throw out allmodest tendencies and falsehoods. This is a time when the athlete must becompletely honest with themselves and their performance. This is also the timewhen the athlete must allow themselves to be their own best friend. These self-talks should be very detailed and taken seriously. They should includestatements about past success, hard work, team cohesion, uniqueness, talent,endurance, persistence, and determination. This list may vary greatly, howeverit is these positive reinforcements t...
