Coaches and parents often say that "a player needs more confidence." What does "confidence" look like? How can you tell if a player has it or not? Many people think that confidence is a life skill or a mental skill. The reality is that confidence isn't either. Confidence is a combination of physical and mental skills combined with the life skill Attitude. Let me show you what I mean.
Let's start by taking a look at the difference between Fantasy and Confidence. Webster's defines Fantasy as "imagination, especially when extravagant and unrestrained; a supposition based on no solid foundation (italics mine)." As a contrast, Confidence means "self reliance, assurance, or boldness." Looking at the word Confident we find "having no uncertainty about one's own abilities, correctness, successfulness."
If a player has not developed the physical skill(s) needed to play his/her sport, then that player is living a Fantasy. In baseball, when they step up to the plate to bat, the player has no solid foundation from which to take in order to hit the ball. However, if the player has a solid foundation of physical, mental, and life skills for his/her sport, then that player is going to approach the game with confidence. In the hitting example, 1) the player has developed the baseball skills necessary to hit a baseball, 2) the player has developed the mental skill of concentration to focus on the task at hand, and 3) the player has the right attitude - i.e. do your best.
So, in conclusion, Sports Confidence is made up of three parts: 1) Physical skills, 2) Concentration (mental skill), and 3) Attitude (life skill). All three are needed for a player to develop Rock Solid Confidence.