Why Confidence Can Shift for Women in Sport

Holly Rye, Sport and Exercise Psychologist in Training (SEPiT), shares some of the reasons confidence can be an issue for women in walking football.

Confidence can shift for anyone. It is one of the most common struggles people face in sport.

Through my journey as a trainee sport and exercise psychologist, I have noticed that athletes at all levels experience challenges with confidence, self-doubt and pressure when playing their sport.

Recently, I had the pleasure of delivering a workshop for a women’s walking football group for ladies over 30. It was really interesting to hear about the different challenges they face within sport.

Confidence can feel like a rollercoaster. It is constantly influenced by our thoughts, experiences, environment and even our bodies.

For many women, returning to sport later in life can bring so many positives, including enjoyment, community, fitness and connection. However, it can also bring self-comparison, fear of judgement, pressure to perform and worries about making mistakes.

Women can often be highly self-critical in sport. This may look like overthinking mistakes, worrying about letting the team down, or holding back because of fear of getting something wrong.

It is also important to recognise the role of the female body. Hormonal changes during periods, perimenopause and menopause can impact confidence, mood, energy, sleep and concentration. So confidence is not always just a “mental” issue — it can also be physical.

That is why normalising these experiences is so important.

Confidence is not about never feeling nervous or never doubting yourself. It is about learning how to respond to those feelings and continuing to stay involved despite them.

One of the biggest messages from the workshop was this:

Confidence does not come before action. Confidence comes from action.

Many people wait until they feel confident before taking a shot, calling for the ball, or speaking up. But confidence often grows through repeated action, even when nerves are still present.

Simple tools such as positive self-talk, focusing on the controllables, and resetting after mistakes can make a huge difference.

Most importantly, women should know they are not alone in feeling this way. Self-doubt is common, and talking openly about confidence can be the first step towards building it.

If this is something you feel you struggle with and would like support with, please feel free to get in touch. You can view the services I provide on my website or contact me by email.

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