By Walter Aguilar – Mindset Coach

Many players think confidence comes from scoring goals, making big saves, or hearing praise from others. But true confidence comes from inside you. It’s built by learning to manage fear, stay aware of your thoughts, and focus on what’s happening right now in front of you, the present moment.

Let’s break down how low confidence connects to fear and how being present helps you perform your best.

1. Fear lives in the future, not in the present

“You can’t be afraid of what’s happening now. Fear only exists in what hasn’t happened yet.”

When you feel nervous before a game, you’re usually thinking about what might happen, such as missing a shot, letting in a goal, or getting yelled at. That’s future thinking, and fear grows in that space. The truth is that fear only has power when your mind leaves the present moment.

When you bring your focus back to now, to your breathing, your body, and your next play, fear loses its grip. You’re no longer trying to control what hasn’t happened yet.

2. Awareness helps you catch fear before it takes over

“You can’t control what you don’t notice. Awareness is the first step to confidence.”

When your confidence drops, it’s often because you don’t notice how fear sneaks into your thinking. Awareness means noticing what you’re thinking and feeling before it controls you.
For example, instead of saying, “I hope I don’t mess up,” you can catch that thought and change it to, “I’m ready for this moment.”

By being aware, you shift from reacting to your thoughts to choosing your focus. That’s the start of mastering your mindset.

3. Preparation builds trust in yourself

“Confidence is built in the hours nobody sees.”

Confidence comes from knowing you’ve done the work. When you prepare through practice, visualization, and routines, you create trust.
Because your body and mind already know what to do, that trust reduces your likelihood of succumbing to fear. You don’t have to think your way through a game; you just play.

Preparation lets your body take over and frees your mind to stay in the moment.

4. Managing your thoughts keeps your energy steady

“Where your focus goes, your energy flows, and it becomes your experience.”

When fear hits, your energy drops. You start overthinking, tensing up, or doubting yourself. Managing your thoughts means you decide what story to believe.
If you choose thoughts that keep you calm, focused, and positive, your energy stays steady. That’s when you feel in control instead of being controlled by fear.

The best players know how to shift their energy by changing their focus.

5. Being fully present brings you into the zone

“The moment you are fully present, fear disappears.”

The zone isn’t magic. It’s mastery of awareness. When you’re in the zone, you’re not thinking about fear, failure, or what anyone thinks. You’re simply being.
You’re seeing the puck clearly, reacting naturally, and feeling free. Fear doesn’t exist in that space because it can’t survive in the present moment.

The more you practice being aware, the more often you can access that fearless, confident zone.

Final Thought

Low confidence isn’t something you fix by trying harder. It’s something you shift by managing fear, building awareness, preparing with intention, and learning to stay present. When you can do that, you don’t have to overcome fear because you’ve already left it behind.

If you’re ready to strengthen your mindset, manage fear, and play with more confidence, contact me to learn how mindset coaching can help you perform at your best.