"Do, or do not. There is no try" - Yoda, 0BBY
A unique feature of the sporting environment is the high degree of competitiveness and public exposure – something with which most people do not have to deal on a day-to-day basis. Highly motivated athletes train more intensely and are more driven to succeed when competing. The critical nature of motivation is most clearly evident when an athlete is suffering from a lack of motivation, where they may:
• seem generally unhappy, distracted and less interested in training or competing
• be unable to push themselves to the same degree during high-intensity training
• experience a decrease in performance level
• be experiencing strained relationships with those around them
• be experiencing higher degrees of anxiety and stress.
Sometimes athletes are unaware of declining motivation levels until their performance starts to suffer. They may find it difficult to measure, assess and increase their own motivation. Coaches and sports psychologists can play a significant role in helping to establish healthy thought patterns and motivational factors that can lead to increased motivation.
A wide variety of incentives and disincentives can lead to increased motivation of an athlete. All athletes have unique personalities, and therefore respond in a different manner to these. Coaches need to be sensitive to the individual athlete, and to ensure the motivational factors driving the athlete will have the greatest impact. This can be particularly challenging in a team situation, where different personalities exist. This can be a source of frustration for athletes, even prompting them to seek a different coach or team they feel will be more beneficial for their development.
Generally, there are two types of motivational factors: positive and negative.
Positive factors instil a sense of drive in an athlete to achieve their goals. Which could be:
• financial rewards
• representative team selection
• the desire to win the gold medal or grand final
• the adoration of fans
• a renewed and improved contract
• a competitive desire to beat all others and win for personal satisfaction
• a drive to achieve a personal best and to fulfil their potential.
Negative factors act as a deterrent, and often will compel an athlete to greater efforts for fear of the negative outcome. These could include:
• being dropped from the team or losing a contract
• losing and suffering the perceived humiliation or embarrassment of defeat
• not achieving what they believe to be their full potential
• threats by the coach to do extra or more intense training sessions.
There are also two sources of motivation: intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation. The internally (or intrinsically) motivated athlete is almost self-propelled towards success and hard work. They have personal goals, expectations and fears that drive their efforts and commitment. These motivating factors are intensely personal, and are often driven by an athlete’s high level of competitiveness and desire to succeed and win.
Extrinsic goals can be either positive or negative in nature. It is advised that athletes should focus more on extrinsic goals from a reliable and controlled source, such as a coach. While playing for the adoration of a crowd can be a powerful influence to play hard, negative feelings of embarrassment may follow if the support stops or turns negative. This can lead to other psychological barriers to successful sporting performance, such as increased anxiety.
Sports psychologists generally aim to empower athletes to be able to monitor and positively influence their own levels of motivation. By setting personal goals and positive incentives, the athlete is able to remain focused and is driven to work hard. A key aspect of developing this power is for the athlete to closely observe and control their self talk, to ensure their thought patterns are positive and beneficial.