Confidence Isn’t Born, It’s Built.

There’s a common myth in sports: that confidence is something you either have or you don’t. But our research, and the stories from our Olympic and Paralympic mentors prove otherwise.

Confidence isn’t fixed. It’s a skill. It’s trainable.

When our Back The Team mentees took our Resilience Self-Assessment this fall, they were This fall, our Back The Team athletes took the Resilience Self-Assessment, rating themselves on a 1–5 scale (1 = Never true of me, 5 = Always true of me). The results revealed a clear picture:

• Persistence & Grit — 4.28 / 5
  Our athletes almost always stick with challenges, stay motivated after setbacks, and follow through on tough goals.

• Effort — 4.19 / 5
  They reported giving their full effort almost always, even when practices and competitions get hard.

• Confidence Under Pressure — 3.64 / 5
  But when the stakes rise, self-belief slips. Confidence only scored sometimes to often—well below grit and effort.

Put simply, youth athletes are strong in grit and effort, but confidence drops when pressure rises.

Without confidence, talent doesn’t translate. An athlete can be prepared, conditioned, and technically sound—but if self-belief crumbles under stress, performance follows. That’s not a flaw—it’s a gap. And gaps can be closed with intentional preparation.

Olympians know this better than anyone. They’ve had to rebuild confidence after injuries, missed podiums, and career setbacks.

At Back The Team, this belief shapes everything we do. Our mentorship cohorts aren’t about quick bursts of motivation, but about building real skills with lasting impact in athletics, in school, and in life. Our current Olympic mentors who’ve competed in Rio 2016, PyeongChang 2018, and Beijing 2022 share the exact strategies they’ve used to:

• Manage nerves before competition.

• Regain focus after mistakes.

• Rebuild self-belief after setbacks.

These aren’t just stories. They’re blueprints. And when youth athletes practice them, confidence grows.

Confidence is not a personality trait. It’s not luck. It’s not just for the “naturally gifted.”
It’s a trainable skill. And this training is at the core of Back The Team’s mission.