Motivation in sports

Motivation is an internal energy force that determines all aspects of our behaviour; it also impacts on how we think, feel and interact with others. In sport, high motivation is widely accepted as an essential prerequisite in getting athletes to fulfil their potential. Howeve, given it's inherently abstract nature, it is a force that is often difficult to exploit.

Motivation is thought to be a combination of drive within us to achieve our aims and the outside factors which affect it. With this in mind, motivation has the following two forms, intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation.

Intrinsic motivation

This is motivation from within. A desire to perform well and succeed. The following will be true:

• Desire to overcome the problem or task.
• Development of skills and habits to overcome that problem.
• Rehearsal of successful habits until they are perfect.
• A feeling of pride and enjoyment in performing the skill.
• Repeated goal setting in order to progress and maintain motivation.

Goals must be all of the following in order to be attainable:

• Smart
• Measurable
• Agreed
• Realistic
• Time related
• Exciting
• Recorded

Extrinsic motivation

Extrinsic motivation comes from a source outside the performer. These are things which can encourage the athlete to perform and are divided into two groups:

Tangible rewards: Physical rewards such as medals and money. These should be used sparingly with young athletes to avoid a situation where winning a prize is more important than competing well.

Intangible rewards: Praise, recognition and achievements. These should be used on a regular basis to encourage the athlete to repeat the behaviour which earned the praise.

To summarize, each and every one of us has an untapped energy source that can be drawn upon to bring about superior results. Enhancing motivation is fundamentally about a change of attitude, developing  a positive "can do" mindset and engaging in systematic behaviours - the short term process goals - that facilitate improvement. If you have a leadership role in sport you will have considerable influence on how motivated your athletes or team might feel. You can instil a good work ethic, recognize individual effort and instigate transparent reward structures that reinforce people's sense of competence. Always strive to be original and innovative in the application of motivational techniques.

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