[CLOH-News] Confidence and motivation from Hobie

[Mark Rauterkus]

Hi,

Part 1 of lesson in Read.SwimISCA.org's Global Library for ISCA Members
follows.

--
Ta.


Mark Rauterkus       Mark at Rauterkus.com
Webmaster, International Swim Coaches Association, SwimISCA.org


https://read.swimisca.org/courses/global-library-for-isca-members/lessons/building-confidence/topic/confidence-building-through-motivation/
from Hobie Billingsley, legendary diving coach, Indiana UniversityBorn:
December 2, 1926, Erie, PA.
Died: July 16, 2022, Bloomington, IN
Confidence is that trait that defines believing and trusting in oneself.

Confidence stimulates and breeds hope and faith in achieving goals which
lead to accomplishment and success. One thing for sure, confidence is one
characteristic all coaches would like to see in their athletes.

When asked to speak to you on confidence building, it sort of confused me a
little for confidence appears to me to be like a person who has money in
the bank. If you have enough of it, you can buy and do nearly anything you
want.

Q: So, in reference to athletics, if confidence is one of the ultimate
goals and necessities to winning or gaining success, then how is it
achieved?Q: Are athletes born with it or is it something that has to be
developed?

We have heard the expression many times that so-and-so didn't succeed
because he lacked self-confidence. Or, another person lost the game because
he was overconfident. Whatever way we look at the picture, it appears that
confidence plays a dominant role in our world of sports and our lives in
terms of just what can or cannot be accomplished.
Q: If confidence is what we are looking for, then how may we obtain it if
we don't have it and how do we handle it if we already have it?It appears
that we should observe those factors that motivate confidence.

If we are to understand how certain factors motivate confidence, then we
should have some basic concept of what is meant by *motivation*.

   - Though there are many definitions, motivation may be best expressed
   for our purposes as that source which stimulates and instills the desire
   for an athlete to perform his or her best.

However, to obtain such a performance requires the athlete to be cognizant
of the competitive level on which he or she can best perform. When the
athlete is aware of his or her performance abilities, then the athlete can
set certain short range and long range goals.

For example, if a diver is aware of his abilities to compete in the high
school state championships and succeeds in his performance, he definitely
will develop confidence in himself to compete at that level. But, if he
should attempt to compete at a higher level, such as the national
championships, his experience and abilities may not be developed well
enough for him to comparatively perform well which may result in his loss
of self-confidence. Conversely, if he should perform well at this higher
level of competition, then most certainly his confidence will increase.

   - Athletes quickly learns that in order to obtain high goals, they must
   undergo intensive training which includes proper physical conditioning,
   consistent and well planned workouts, ample competition, a positive
   environment, ideal supervision and coaching, etc.

Occasionally, an athlete will come along who has the confidence and talent
to succeed without following rigid training habits, but with the present
keenness of competition at all levels, this brand of athlete is a rare
exception.

On the other hand, the less talented athletes who are highly motivated and
pushes to the very limit may never reach intended goals.

In many cases, when an athlete realizes he or she cannot reach the original
goal, that person loses confidence and often changes to a goal less
challenging or directs energies and interests in some other direction.

Whatever the goal of an athlete, motivation offers a tremendous influence
in the success or failure of the individual's performance.
Q: So how does one become motivated to perform well?

Unfortunately, coaches find very few self-motivated and self-disciplined
athletes these days due mainly to technological advances which have
encouraged more and more youngsters to watch T.V., do drugs, or drive
around instead of knocking themselves out in some sport.
With the apparent influence that motivation has on the performance of an
athlete, it is important that we explore the three sources from which
motivation is derived.

   1. The individual,
   2. environment, and
   3. the coach.

The individual

Many athletes need little motivation from other sources to perform well for
they have the innate ability to motivate themselves. These athletes usually
like the challenge of competition . . . the head-on-head engagement . . .
and usually perform better as the pressure of competition increases. These
types of athletes normally have little fear or have control of their fear
when competing. Others seem to *clutch* when things get tough and often
perform worse as the pressure mounts. More often, these athletes lack self
confidence and have great fears: fear of losing, fear to do one's best,
letting down teammates or parents, etc. Why some athletes can be
self-motivating while others cannot is clearly a mystery.

Apparently, self-motivation has much to do with the way an athlete sees him
or herself. In youth, emerging ideas about oneself are shaped by reference
to other people and throughout life the person is motivated by the desire
to behave in the manner consistent with the symbolic role he or she has
accepted of "self". Clothing, mannerisms, tastes, and opinions all fit his
or her notion of what kind of person he or she should be. These well etched
outlines of self-image do not radically change over the years, but do
evolve and take on specific ways of expressing themselves.
In many cases the self-concept is really a social concept and other people
are the standards against which the emerging "self" is measured and defined.

So, in dealing with others, the athlete soon finds what activities the
athlete can excel in and what kind that athlete cannot do well in.

   - Competence begets confidence and vice versa resulting in a chain
   reaction which leads, more or less, to a consistent level of self-assurance
   or timidity, which may last a life time.

Competing has a lasting effect on the activities the athlete undertakes and
the amount of determination the athlete will offer in performing. However,
competence doesn't materialize easily without talent, so the level of
assuredness is directly related to the athlete's talent.
In addition to acquiring competence, an athlete also acquires a sense of
being awarded for one's efforts.

Thus, a highly capable person may not perform well for he or she cares
little for the prize while another person with modest talents may
successfully undertake the task with great effort, for he feels he deserves
the awards.

   - Competence and self-worth are commonly consistent with each other.

Because of this, some athletes become habitual winners while others become
habitual losers and others lose some and win some. The important point is
that their expectations become fairly stable.