It's no
secret that what motivates one athlete can leave another indifferent.
Some live for the fire of competition and anything that will help them
better an opponent gets them going. Others need a tangible reward to
bring out their best. And some create their own motivation through the
internal satisfaction of a job well done. Chances are theres a
mix of these athletes on any given team. But how is a coach to know who
is motivated by what?
This essential coaching knowledge is
especially hard to come by when each season brings new athletes with
different backgrounds, experiences, and motivations. And returning
letter winners can grow into much different people than they were the
year before. To help all these athletes succeed, it is imperative to
learn about each one individually and then use that information as you
coach them through the trials and tribulations that a season
brings.
The most obvious starting point is to have brief, informal
discussions with each athlete about his or her interests and
background. Typical questions may include: How important are sports to
you? Does competition excite you? What do you like and dislike about
practice? These talks are a thorough and personal way to discover
information, but theyre also time consuming, particularly with a
football team or other large squad.
Another way to learn more about
athletes is to have them complete a brief questionnaire about their
perception of success. (Click here
to access a Web version of the Perceptions of Success survey or here
for a PDF version.) This survey identifies the qualities an athlete
associates with athletic achievement. For example, do they consider
talent more important than attitude? Is possessing physical strength
more essential than working hard?
Armed with insights into the
athlete's view of his or her potential to succeed in sports, coaches
can decide how to better motivate that particular
individualwhether to build an athletes confidence, work on
his or her ability to focus, or improve his or her knowledge of the
sport. A coach can learn whether an athlete is better motivated by
appealing to his or her competitive nature or by acknowledging that
persons dedication to the team. The bottom line is the coach
learns each athletes personal beliefs about what it takes to
succeedinformation that might go unlearned without this
survey.
You can obtain a deeper comprehensive psychological profile
of each athlete through a competitive behavior questionnaire. (Access
the Competitive Behavior Questionnaire by clicking here for
a Web version or
here for a PDF version.) Athletes answer a series of questions
about their response to competition, with stronger reactions resulting
in higher scores. High scores (46-56) suggest a high level of tension
about competition. Athletes who total 35 points or less typically
suffer little anxiety about competition.
The results of this
questionnaire enable a coach to discern in detail a player's mental
approach to competition and associated anxieties. For athletes who
record high anxiety scores, a coach can work on relaxation techniques,
such as deep breathing, visualization exercises, and a good warmup. For
athletes with low scores, coaches may want to provide some external
motivation to ensure they remain enthusiastic and excited about
competing.
Next, your attention should turn to your athletes
sources of motivation. A study of 8,000 student-athletes ages 10-18
conducted by Michigan State University professors Martha Ewing and Vern
Seefleldt indicated the primary reason most kids participate in sports
is for affiliationthey like socializing with others. For a
smaller group of athletes, the key motivation is an intrinsic need to
perform successfully or an extrinsic need to gain rewards. A minority
of youth athletes said they simply enjoy pressure and competition. A
motivation questionnaire (click
here to access the Web version or here for the
PDF version) can help you learn more about the personal
motivations of your particular athletes, information you can then use
to keep them motivated through the season.
Coaches can use results
from the motivation survey to help players set realistic goals. Those
who are motivated by the need to succeed or compete will probably
respond better to goals centered on performance and improvement. An
athlete who is more interested in the social aspect of being on a team,
though, will likely respond to goals that reflect being a good teammate
and supporting his or her teammates.
Once coaches accept the
responsibility to learn more about their athletes they are more likely
to build strong relationships with their players and, in turn, enjoy a
loyal following. They should see growth in both the self-esteem and
physical skills of athletes who will also appreciate that their coach
sees them as individuals and understands their personalities.
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