Is It a Confidence Issue or Overthinking?

How the TAIS Assessment Uncovers the Real Reason Athletes Struggle

In sports, it’s easy to label an athlete’s struggle with surface-level explanations:

“He’s just not confident.”

“She needs to compete harder.”

“He’s not aggressive enough.”

But what if those aren’t the real issues at all?

What if what looks like a lack of confidence or effort is actually something deeper — like overthinking, misdirected focus, or a mental pattern that’s hard to see from the outside?

That’s where tools like the TAIS (The Attentional and Interpersonal Style) inventory come in. It doesn’t guess. It shows you exactly how your mind is wired — and where that wiring might be holding you back from performing at your best.

Surface-Level Judgments vs. Internal Experience

I recently worked with a basketball player whose coaches and peers all seemed to agree on one thing: “He needs more confidence.” Some even questioned his effort or competitiveness because of how passive he looked during games.

But when we sat down and looked at his TAIS profile, a different picture emerged.

His results showed high scores in areas related to analytical thinking and self-evaluation — meaning his mind was constantly active, scanning, processing, analyzing, critiquing. Not just during game film or practice, but in the middle of plays. Instead of attacking the rim or cutting into open space, he was often caught in “paralysis by analysis.” Overthinking every move. Second-guessing his instincts.

From the outside, it looked like passiveness. On the inside? It was mental overload.

What TAIS Helps Us See

The TAIS breaks down key elements of how an athlete pays attention under pressure. It measures traits like:

• Internal vs. External Focus – Are you in your head or reacting to the environment?

• Analytical vs. Instinctive Thinking – Are you breaking things down or flowing with the moment?

• Control vs. Flexibility – Are you trying to over-manage outcomes or open to adaptation?

This athlete had strong mental capabilities — but in the wrong context (like the chaos of live play), those strengths became roadblocks. Over-analysis led to hesitation. That hesitation created missed opportunities. And those missed plays fed the narrative of "not confident" or "not competing hard enough."

The Real Fix

Because we use the TAIS assessment early in the process, we were able to identify this athlete’s unique mental patterns right from the beginning.

Instead of wasting time chasing the wrong issue — like trying to "build confidence" through hype or motivation — we focused on the real challenge: overthinking and internal noise that disrupted his ability to play freely.

From there, our work centered on:

• Trusting the body and instincts – Getting out of the head and into the game

• Training simple, clear cues – Like “catch and go” or “read then react”

• Practicing mental stillness – Using breathwork and meditation to calm internal chatter

• Shifting focus externally – Attuning to space, movement, and teammates rather than self

  
  

With time and intentional practice, his awareness grew and his game started to shift. He began moving more decisively, reacting more instinctively, and playing with a freedom that had been buried under layers of thought.

And we didn’t get there by guessing. We got there by understanding how his mind works — and building a strategy around it.

The Bottom Line

The stories we tell ourselves — and the labels we get from others — aren’t always accurate. Confidence, effort, or toughness might look like the problem, but the root issue is often deeper and more individual.

TAIS gives us a way to get there faster. To see what’s really going on. And to build a performance plan that actually fits who the athlete is.

If you’re an athlete (or coach or parent) and something just isn’t clicking — don’t settle for surface-level answers.

Sometimes, the breakthrough starts with a better question.

Own your attention. Unlock your potential.

Kate

About: Kate Allgood is educated in the field of applied sport psychology. She holds two Masters degrees in psychology where she graduated with distinction. After a very successful hockey career, she has spent the past 14 years working one on one with high school, college, Olympic, and professional athletes to help them with their mindset, mental performance and mental skills training. Kate has also been a consultant for professional teams, including the Anaheim Ducks primary minor league affiliate the San Diego Gulls, to help the team and players develop their mental game. It is important to note that while Kate has graduate school training in applied sport psychology and general psychology, she does not diagnose or treat clinical disorders, and is not a licensed psychologist. 

**The information provided is not to dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique, either directly or indirectly, as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems, without the advice of a physician. The information provided is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for high performance. If you know or suspect you have a health problem, it is recommended you seek your physician's advice.