Be humble! There is nothing wrong with being confident, but confidence and cockiness are two completely different things. A tiger will never have to tell you that it is a tiger. When you step into a game the only thing that needs to speak for you is your game.
The way you step into a match can have a huge impact on the outcome before the match even begins. Be confident in your game and your skill, but remember to stay focused and present.
When you step up confident, you step up trusting yourself and your game. You’re cool, calm and collected. This puts you into a mindset that allows you to focus on what you need to do.
When you step up cocky, you step up underestimating your opponent. You belittle them and put them below you. This could have multiple effects. First you could lose focus on what you need to do since you no longer view them as a threat. Second it could easily fire up your opponent to make them come at you even harder. This could prove to be a dangerous combination, a player that has lost focus versus a player that has been fired up.
Being humble has a second part to it though. Always remember, no matter how hard you work there is always someone working harder! No matter how good you are, there is always someone better! You are a small fish in a big pond, the minute you can do is stop working, stop training, stop trying, and stop learning is the minute you accept mediocracy.
The best in the world don't stop training because they are the best, they work even harder to stay the best. They know that there are people nipping at their heels working daily to over take them. The day you stop working is the day you are done. When you stop training you are telling everyone that you are ok with being mediocre.
Being humble also means that you understand that there is more for you to learn and more for you to accomplish. Being humble means that you are not ready to give up and that you are not satisfied with where you are.
Be humble! Do not overlook your opponents! Do not assume there is nothing left to learn. Stay true and keep working. Trust your game, trust yourself. When all is said and done let your game speak for itself.