Struggling with your confidence is painful. (Lisa Brown)
Q. Lisa, last season I had very low confidence! I would try to enjoy the game but my confidence would just get lower every
time I made a mistake. What should I do...
There are 3 things you can do to turn this around.
Your first job is to accept your feelings when you’re angry, sad, or ashamed.
Picture a mom with her 5 year old child. If the child feels sad, cries, or gets hurt, the mom comforts the child and
gives her a hug. You need to treat yourself the same way no matter how ’down in the dumps’ you are feeling.
Basically, this means saying to yourself, ’It’s Ok to feel sad, scared, or have a low confidence day.’
Your second job is to gather some hope about your game. You start by making long, detailed list of your
strengths.
Take out a piece of paper and write down two things:
1) your strengths as a ringette player,
2) your strengths as a person
Each morning (and before each ringette game) read over your list.
Your last job is to set a goal you can control in the game.
You can’t control your teammates, the opponent, the refs, your coach, your parents, or even whether you score or pick
up the ring.
You can control many things on the ice, though.
Here are some examples:
1. When you shoot
2. How hard you skate
3. When you pass the ring and who you pass it to
4. Watching the other team’s forwards when on defense
Here are some goals you could set:
’I’m going to shoot from the Hot Spot.’
’I’m going to watch for where the goalie is weak.’
’I’m going to keep up with my check and make her work hard
to get the ring.’
’I’m going to backcheck all the way to my own blue line.’
Focus on your goal, and do an excellent job of it.
You will soon be successful, and your confidence will rise.
Your friend, Lisa B.
PS: You can learn more about metnal toughness in my ebook, Dare to Dazzle in Your Most Important Games.
In it, I teach you the techniques you need to learn to stay relaxed and confident.
All the details are here:
www.ringetteretreat.com/page/mental
