Everybody can recognize a TRUE Champion.
They have something about them. Something that is a little different than everyone else. The way they walk around the court, the way they play every shot.
It is as if they know for a fact that they are going to win, somehow…and they usually do.
A Champion has CONFIDENCE.
It doesn’t matter which sport it is. It doesn’t matter at what level they play. It doesn’t matter what style they use or in which era they lived.
A Champion has CONFIDENCE.
But what is confidence, exactly? Is it the same as that player who struts around the court against weaker players, showing the world that they don’t care, especially when they are losing?
Is it the same as the player who guarantees everyone in the tournament that they will win his next round easily only to come off the court with a list of excuses why things did not work out?
Have you ever felt confidence before a match only to have that confidence shattered during the game?
If you know this feeling but cannot explain it, the answer is that you did not feel confidence. You had an EXPECTATION.
The difference is slight but it is what separates the champion and the rest of the field.
EXPECTATIONS are a specific outcome that you believe should happen.
CONFIDENCE is a belief that you will handle any situation that does happen.
Do you see the difference?
An EXPECTATION is a pre-determined thought as to how things SHOULD play out but what happens when anything goes different from your plan?
The Answer: Your Confidence is shattered.
Your brain judges that things are going wrong….that you are choking…that the world is unfair.
A true champion has no expectations.
They are prepared to reach any level of play necessary to win. They are prepared to use any resource available to overcome today’s challenges. They do not doubt that they are capable of handling the situation.
Champions have high Confidence and no expectations.
Chokers have high expectations and no confidence.
If you have been performing inconsistently, get rid of those predictions about what should happen in your next match.
Be prepared for anything at anytime and believe that it is within your capacity to meet the challenge of the moment.