It’s not just about talent. If you want to be a champion, you also have to think like one.

That is what South West Academy of Sport athletes have been taught as part of a special program that encourages participants to adopt a winner’s state of mind.

SWAS CEO Bernice Butlion said the Rock-Solid Confidence sessions, overseen by sports consultant Ian Crawford, were designed to prepare the athletes for more advanced levels of competition.

“This is a good experience for several SWAS athletes — Harry Jones, Isla Stanford, Joel Doddy, Lauren Rowe and Rhianna Di Giuseppe, who are competing against the best under-18 athletes throughout the State,” she said.

“To equip them with the confidence and skills to compete at this level, we wanted to provide the athletes with strategies to tough it out on the field against the more physical and experienced athletes.”

Athletes have been taught strategies during their time in the program, including the importance of staying optimistic, adopting a positive body posture, and taking responsibility.

Mr Crawford said the workshops were all about building confidence in the next generation of sporting stars. “It’s one of the most important things to be able to maintain when things go well and when
things go poorly,” he said.

“It’s one of the key things that we can make sure gives them that edge. When anything goes bad, they can step up into that high performance realm to train or to compete.”