Hello Coaches,
We’re excited to share the second installment of the Prime 5 series—five essential mental skills every athlete needs to reach their full potential.
This month, we’re focusing on Confidence—but not the kind that’s just about hype or fake positivity. We’re talking about earned, repeatable confidence built on preparation, self-belief, and mental habits that hold up under pressure.
You’ve probably coached athletes who go above and beyond in their preparation. They stay late, get extra reps, and do everything you ask. But when the lights come on, they don’t always trust that preparation. Instead of leaning into what they’ve earned, they start thinking about the times they came up short.
That’s where this month’s activity—the Success Board—comes in.
📌 What Is a Success Board?
A Success Board is a visual reminder of why an athlete has earned the right to be confident. It shifts their focus away from failure or doubt and reminds them of:
The work they’ve put in
The growth they’ve shown
The success they’ve already had
Our brains are wired with what psychologists call a negative bias, meaning we naturally focus more on our failures than our wins. The Success Board helps athletes override that bias by training them to reflect on positive evidence that supports their confidence.
🧠 Why It Works
When athletes only think about the mistakes, missed shots, or times they felt like they let someone down, it chips away at their confidence. But when they’re able to visually see their progress—notes from a coach, screenshots of stats, memories from a big win—it becomes much easier to silence those doubts and trust what they’ve built.
📝 How to Implement the Activity
Step 1: Introduce the Concept
Explain that confidence isn’t just about “feeling good”—it’s about knowing you’ve done the work and reminding yourself of that when it counts. Here is a video that can help: https://youtu.be/fqFgpPWqKcg (4:43 min)
Step 2: Build the Board: Each athlete creates their own Success Board. It can be a:
Slide deck (Google Slides, PowerPoint)
Poster hung in a locker or bedroom
Digital photo album on their phone
Section of their mirror at home
Ask them to include:
Photos or videos from games they performed well in
Quotes or texts from coaches or teammates
Highlights or stats that show progress
Practice clips that remind them of their grind
Personal wins they’re proud of (on or off the court)
Step 3: Use It Weekly
Encourage athletes to review their board regularly—before practice, pregame, or anytime they feel doubt creeping in. Some coaches even set aside a few minutes before practice to let players check their board and get into a confident mindset.
Step 4: Share If Comfortable
Let athletes know they don’t have to share their board, but if they want to, it can be powerful. You might set up a team day where athletes show one item from their board that helps them stay confident.
💡 Final Thoughts
This isn’t about pretending to be perfect—it’s about remembering that you’ve earned the right to believe in yourself. The Success Board helps athletes shift their focus from failure to growth, from doubt to belief.
Thanks for continuing to build mentally tough athletes. Stay tuned for the next Prime 5 resource coming soon!
Contact Us:
Ben Carnes
Owner, Mental Training Plan
📞 (317) 557-3022
Learn more about our mental training resources at mentaltrainingplan.com
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