In our sport that seems to still be quite undeveloped, even at its highest and most athletic levels, so often the team that walks onto the field with the knowledge and forethought of victor, walks off the field fulfilled.

Sure it can backfire. Sure you need fundamentals, energy, and cohesion. Not to mention hard work, focus, and athleticism. But I believe that the most powerful weapon one team can hold, as a key to victory, is simple confidence.

Now, clearly all the coaches and player-coaches are asking the obvious: How does a team develop confidence?
-Obviously, the easiest way is by having prior success as a team. But confidence can and must be found prior to success, so there is time paradox here; it takes something else.
-You can steal confidence. Usually this is done when teams mysteriously ‘find’ transferred players (usually on the club level). But college teams can further their development by planting all the players they can on the well-developed club teams or even league teams of the area and glean confidence from the players and experiences.
-A slow build-up can come from the sum of the individuals’ confidence levels. This is difficult to develop and usually takes a lot of luck in the timing. Everyone finding her or his individual confidence at the right time is crucial for this to work.
-The most effective way is through strong and winning leadership. As great role models, the captains, top players, and coaches can really strengthen the team on the road to successes. Instilling confidence is how the leader is most valuable and can really take an entire team where they want to go. Even if they are making errors left and right, stepping back onto that playing field with a winning attitude is the most effective and strongest sign of leadership.

-The most effective way is through strong and winning leadership. As great role models, the captains, top players, and coaches can really strengthen the team on the road to successes.

Instilling confidence is how the leader is most valuable and can really take an entire team where they want to go.

Even if they are making errors left and right, stepping back onto that playing field with a winning attitude is the most effective and strongest sign of leadership.

It is just one of many facets of the game that we love, but it is a powerful tool that can be initiated by the few and, as momentum gains, it will spread to the many. Lead your team by example, and they will follow and benefit from your confidence.

So next time you step onto the playing field, look your teammates in the eye and know that victory is at hand. And as the outcome nears, and you have the disc in your hand, know you are throwing a completion. Ultimate confidence, on the grand scale and on the small, is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Just don’t have it against my teams.
— John 'Tiger' Pearson

John coaches the UNC Pleiades womens team, played and captained UNC Darkside, and currently plays with NC club team Ring of Fire.