COACHES CAN CREATE A CULTURE OF CONFIDENCE

Confidence doesn’t start with athletes alone—it starts with the environment coaches create. When athletes feel safe to fail, they grow faster.

Tips for coaches:

• Use effort-based praise that celebrates progress, not perfection

• Normalize mistakes as part of the learning process

• Keep body language calm, especially after errors

• Build in moments to celebrate small wins and effort-based actions

Confidence is contagious. A team where players encourage each other, trust themselves, and feel valued will outperform even more talented but fearful squads.