NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT THAN CONFIDENCE

"Confidence is hard to teach; confidence is only born of one thing -demonstrated ability. It is not born of anything else. You cannot dream up confidence. You cannot fabricate it. You cannot wish it. You have to accomplish it. I think that genuine confidence is what you really seek that only comes from demonstrated ability." - Bill Parcels

Shooters have bad days and suffer through slumps, but great shooters, moreover great players, never allow their confidence to waver. Shooters have short memories and always believe their next shot is good.

"Life is a collection of self-fulfilling prophecies" - John Naber; therefore, it is imperative that a shooter truly believes in herself and her shot. The confidence is more vital to success than any technique a coach can teach.

Great shooters never think about missing; once the negative enters the mind, the chances for success are lessened. Michael Jordan said: "I never looked at the consequences of missing a big shot. Why? Because when you think about the consequences, you always think of a negative result." Jordan was not a phenomenal shooter, but at the end of the game, nobody is better. The pressure never affected Jordan; it raised his level of play, sharpened his focus. He believed the shot was going in, so a game winning shot never had added pressure. His confidence created a calm enabling him to knock down the big shots.