To answer the forum question: Absolutely yes.
Not only in myself, but I have seen FIRST build up bravery and confidence in past team leaders and alumni alike, to the point where I look up to some of those people to this day, at least to the way they did their work.
As far as I am concerned, I have gotten braver at being critical of what other people think, demand, and do, to the point where I want to question the coach or another team leader until some form of compromise, either in thought or action is made. Sometimes, if not most of the time I end up being on the fool's end of the argument at that moment, but I get better at my 'debating' skills every time. I am pretty confident about that, and I am confident that eventually, I'll be in the middle, making compromises (not on the ultra-confident end of things where it gets shaky).
Bravery has not only improved there, but also in public. Every time our team goes some place we get told these stories of thieves, peddlers, etc. That shooting in Atlanta during the champ event at the park was definitely a scary thought. But I look at it this way: no one can control what crimes of the day will happen, but we can be smart about how we travel in the urban landscape so that they are avoided. Striking fear (either directly, indirectly, or not intentionally indirectly) is just pointless, if not just increasing the danger because it disturbs a persons thinking and awareness and ability to act properly in a possibly dangerous situation. Finding a way to let sensible and good human intuition drive how the team is lead through a city, college campus, etc. is just plain better. Bravery grows this way, at least that is how I see it.
Confidence:
-Real time: increases the most
-In what I am doing: increases
-In 'generally' where I am going (something computer science related): increases
-In 'exactly' where I am going: stays put... so much seen at any competition event, just opens my mind all the time, and horizons just expand. Its fun.
I'm done... that's my 2 cents.