ABSTRACT
This chapter overviews the major theories for understanding self-confidence. The chapter depicts the relationship between self-confidence and sport performance. Self-confidence focuses on athletes perceptions about their abilities to achieve success. Much research on self-confidence in sport psychology has been informed by Albert Banduras self-efficacy theory and Vealeys model of sport confidence. In Vealey model, sport confidence refers to the level of certainty athletes have about their abilities to achieve success in sport. Coaches and athletes can identify ways to boost confidence levels to gain the potential benefits in terms of persistence, adaptive cognitions and performance. There are two types of strategies that Coach Cox can use that would address the physiological and emotional states category in Banduras model. Coach Cox could use live and recorded demonstrations to help John develop a mental picture in which he sees himself performing well.
