The relationship between sources of sport confidence and

Self-confidence can be defined as the belief in one’s abilities to achieve success, and it often has been identified as a most important mental skill for success in sport by individuals engaging in competitive sports, including athletes and coaches. This study examined the relationship between sources of sport confidence and athletic performance in young Iranian elite wrestlers. The participants were 148 elite wrestlers of 17 to 20 year olds (M=18.60, SD=0.98) participating the country championship in 2009, who completed the Sources of Sport Confidence Questionnaire (SSCQ). Athletic performance of young wrestlers, which acquired their rank in the championship, was taken into account. The results showed a significant positive relationship between coaches’ leadership, mastery, environmental comfort, demonstration of ability, physical/mental preparation, physical self-presentation and athletic performance. The results of a stepwise regression analysis showed that coaches’ leadership was the strongest predictor of athletic performance. Our findings suggest that coaches’ behaviors may greatly influence athletes’ self-confidence and can be an important social factor that influences athletes’ cognition and behavior.