Direction: When your coach tells you the intervals to hold in a set, confidence is the belief that you can make the Intervals. When you are at Nationals for the first time and step up on the block for your race, confidence is the belief in your ability to race up to your capabilities. Research on elite athletes across sports suggests that a high level of self-confidence, as well as the ability to maintain that high level over time, is a factor they have in common. The challenge is in figuring out this skill/characteristics can be developed in athletes. Contrary to what most people think,people who have high self-confidence sometimes doubt themselves or their abilities; elite athletes report feelings of apprehension and pressure prior to competition but still perform well. So being confident doesn’t mean the absence of negative thoughts or feelings. Rather, self-confident athletes believe in their ability to perform well despite feelings such as apprehension or doubt