{"id":2758,"date":"2012-11-28T17:29:51","date_gmt":"2012-11-28T17:29:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports_psychology_blog\/?p=2758"},"modified":"2025-06-12T07:04:51","modified_gmt":"2025-06-12T11:04:51","slug":"secret-mental-game-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/secret-mental-game-success\/","title":{"rendered":"Top Secret To Mental Game Success For All Athletes"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/swimming-secret-to-success.jpg\" alt=\"Mental Game Success in Sports\" class=\"wp-image-6195\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/swimming-secret-to-success.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/swimming-secret-to-success-300x150.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Managing_Expectations_in_Sports\"><\/span>Managing Expectations in Sports<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 ez-toc-wrap-center counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-transparent ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Article Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #0769bf;color:#0769bf\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #0769bf;color:#0769bf\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/secret-mental-game-success\/#Managing_Expectations_in_Sports\" >Managing Expectations in Sports<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/secret-mental-game-success\/#What_the_difference_between_confidence_and_expectation\" >What the difference between confidence and expectation?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/secret-mental-game-success\/#This_is_where_setting_simple_objectives_comes_into_the_formula\" >This is where setting simple objectives comes into the formula.<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/secret-mental-game-success\/#Related_Sports_Psychology_Articles\" >Related Sports Psychology Articles<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/secret-mental-game-success\/#The_Confident_Athlete\" >The Confident Athlete<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What\u2019s my number one formula for success in sports? It includes three parts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Identify and discard strict expectations or demands.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Replace expectation with high confidence.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Replace expectation with simple objectives.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>This is the first lesson I teach to my personal coaching students. Allow me to explain\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After working with 1000\u2019s of athletes, I\u2019ve concluded: that strict or high expectations can destroy confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_the_difference_between_confidence_and_expectation\"><\/span>What the difference between confidence and expectation?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Confidence is based on the strength of the belief in your ability or how strongly you believe in your skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Confidence is simply a belief that precedes your performance such as when you see a good shot and feel like you will hit a good shot prior to execution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Expectations, on the other hand, are judgments and demands that you place on your performance usually about outcomes or game statistics, such as the number of points scored in a game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But confidence does not demand you perform great, unlike expectations. In addition, a confident athlete does not judge the quality of the performance based on prior strict expectations, results or outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thus, expectations are unwritten demands or minimum standards that you have about your performance. They cause you to judge the quality of your performance and outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Why are expectations so harmful to your confidence? In most cases, if you don\u2019t achieve your expectations, it\u2019s easy to question your ability or lose confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thus, you want to perform without the mental handcuffs of expectations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have high expectations and low confidence, it\u2019s a recipe for failure. You want to strive for high confidence without the judgments that come with high expectation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s hard for most athletes to let go of expectation. But you can replace expectations with small goals to help you focus on the process\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"This_is_where_setting_simple_objectives_comes_into_the_formula\"><\/span>This is where setting simple objectives comes into the formula.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, if you expect to score 20 points and 10 rebounds in a game, this causes pressure and a focus on outcome or stats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Focusing on simple objectives, such as getting open and taking the shot when you have the opportunity, helps you think about good execution, not outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s the formula or lesson I teach all my students. The first place to start is discard your outcome expectations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To do this, you have to honestly evaluate what expectations you demand of yourself\u2014or what you think others demand of your performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Expectations often come from four areas:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Demands about your score, times, results, or outcome<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Demands about the quality of your performance<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Demands about your mental game<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Demands you feel from others<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>See the examples below:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"557\" height=\"613\" src=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Peak-Performance-Sports.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2759\" title=\"Peak Performance Sports\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Peak-Performance-Sports.png 557w, https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Peak-Performance-Sports-273x300.png 273w, https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Peak-Performance-Sports-272x300.png 272w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 557px) 100vw, 557px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"block-979ef383-5bc7-43ee-b8f9-249663ca1a6c\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Related_Sports_Psychology_Articles\"><\/span>Related Sports Psychology Articles<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/do-you-or-your-team-have-the-comeback-mindset\/\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/defining-athletic-success-on-your-terms\/\"><strong>Defining Athletic Success on Your Terms\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/a-mindset-for-success\/\"><strong>A Mindset for Success<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-to-pros-use-visualization-to-improve-success\/\"><strong>How to Pros Use Visualization to Improve Success<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\" id=\"block-5726d13f-f715-4ca4-8813-2f8a9ebd8bc3\">*Subscribe to\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/sports-psychology-podcast-by-peaksports-com\/id152566009\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>on iTunes<br>*Subscribe to <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0ynyaalKxbnNmsoeL8gF5X?si=8224669de9b3435b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/strong><\/a> on Spotify<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\" id=\"block-281f5afb-980b-4c71-9aa0-11d606b5f7c9\"><strong>Download a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/mental-toughness-report-athletes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">free sports psychology report<\/a>&nbsp;to improve your mental game!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\" id=\"block-94138e75-d591-4645-bb1d-212cf57a8841\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sport-psychology-training-athletes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Learn more about our one-on-one mental game coaching.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Confident_Athlete\"><\/span>The Confident Athlete <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"225\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/confident-athlete-audio250.jpg\" alt=\"The Confident Athlete Audio\" class=\"wp-image-16347\" style=\"width:198px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Confident Athlete\u201d consists of 2 audio programs that include 14 days of confidence fueling exercises and a simple to follow workbook that guides you through the 14 days, helps you apply the strategies, and customizes the exercises to your personal needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let me help you put a <strong>stop to the confidence leak<\/strong>. You can learn to have greater levels of confidence in competition than you do in practice by identifying the specific ways you undermine your own confidence and <strong>how to convert your practice confidence into COMPETITIVE CONFIDENCE<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Confident Athlete\u201d is a ground-breaking system to teach you how to think like a champion and have ultimate self-confidence every time you step on the playing field, court, track, or course. The confident athletes was <strong>developed for any athlete \u2013 junior to professional \u2013<\/strong>that wants to gain confidence. However, coaches and sports parents can learn how to teach others to perform with ultimate confidence. Use my program if you want to bust a slump or just wanting higher or more consistent levels of self-confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-0b39f7aa\">\n\n<a class=\"gb-button gb-button-a74417ae gb-button-text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/the-confident-athlete-cd-program\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">GET DETAILS<\/a>\n\n\n\n<a class=\"gb-button gb-button-461ab57c gb-button-text\" href=\"https:\/\/shop.peaksports.com\/collections\/the-confident-athlete-series-digital-download\/products\/the-confident-athlete-digital\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">BUY NOW<\/a>\n\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Managing Expectations in Sports What\u2019s my number one formula for success in sports? It includes three parts: This is the first lesson I teach to my personal coaching students. Allow me to explain\u2026 After working with 1000\u2019s of athletes, I\u2019ve concluded: that strict or high expectations can destroy confidence. What the difference between confidence and expectation? Confidence is &#8230; <a title=\"Top Secret To Mental Game Success For All Athletes\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/secret-mental-game-success\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Top Secret To Mental Game Success For All Athletes\">Sport Psychology Article&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6196,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[142],"tags":[318,714,1032],"class_list":["post-2758","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports-psychology-tips","tag-confidence-in-sports","tag-managing-expectatios-in-sports","tag-mental-skills"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO Pro 4.9.6.2 - aioseo.com -->\n\t<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What is the difference between confidence and expectation and how does it impact your performance and consistency in a game? Read more now to find out!\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Patrick Cohn\"\/>\n\t<meta name=\"keywords\" content=\"confidence in sports tips,managing expectatios in sports,mental skills\" \/>\n\t<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/secret-mental-game-success\/\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"generator\" content=\"All in One SEO Pro (AIOSEO) 4.9.6.2\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Sports Psychology Articles | Sport Psychology Articles for Athletes, Coaches, and Sports Parents\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Managing Expectations in Sports | Sports Psychology\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"What is the difference between confidence and expectation and how does it impact your performance and consistency in a game? 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