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Coaches, sports psychologists, and trainers urge their athletes to play with confidence. “Believe in yourself.” “Play to win.” “Hold your head up high.” Whether in victory or defeat, athletes hear these phrases on a daily basis and are trained to display self-confidence, poise and integrity at all times. These traits are the benchmarks of the strength of character that is often expected of those competing at the top level of any sport. The Empire State Building is built on a foundation that stretches 55 feet down into the earth, roughly the same depth as the height of a five-story building. It is this foundation that ensures the stability of the structure. Similarly, how deep you build your foundation will determine the stability of your game, in both a physical and mental sense. It is not enough to simply tell yourself to have confidence, just as it was not enough to construct the Empire State building on a cement slab only a few feet thick. Instead, it is something that you must be willing to develop over time. You must dig deep and persevere to build the foundation of both your game and your character. Regular training, both physical and mental, is necessary to cultivate a deeper understanding of yourself. Through practice, you will build the foundation upon which you can build an elite skill set and a professional career. That is one side. The other is a bit harder to circumscribe. There will be times when, try as you might, you are unable to pull off that game-winning performance. There will also be times when, despite hours of practice and an undying commitment, you fall short of the goals you have set. You may find it difficult, if not impossible, to “believe in yourself” and “hold your head high” in these moments. So how do you keep your confidence when everything seems to be falling apart? The answer is simpler than you think. Detach yourself from outcome. When you step onto the ice for practice, when you log reps during a grueling workout, or when you read and study for a test, detach your emotions and your self-worth from the end result. If your energy is focused only in the present, and you concentrate only on that which you are doing right now, you will find your confidence does not elude you. This does not mean to not strive to achieve a goal. Rather, it means to recognize your goal as more than just an end result. It means you should realize that a large part of your goal is the journey you will take to achieve it. If you can recognize that as you set out to accomplish your goal, you will change and grow along the way. Perhaps you will find that the goal you set out to achieve has changed, and a different one has taken its place. The natural process of growth includes the development of self-confidence. When you focus on the process rather than the end results, your training will become more effective and you will step naturally – and with confidence – into the role you were meant to play.