The sport activity allows the affirmation of an attitude that can be summarized in the following sentence: “It is thanks to my commitment that I become better and better at what I do. Young athletes who will become champions are motivated by an inner drive that is fed by the subjective perception of satisfaction that they derive from performing a given task to the best of their ability.
Any external intervention that tends to reduce this perception will negatively affect the athlete’s motivation. This is the case when a subject is committed only to receive a material prize (win a trophy) or symbolic (“I do it for my parents or the coach so they will be happy or because I will be more admired by my classmates”). The sporting performance thus becomes only a means to achieve another purpose that is, instead, the true end of the action: the young person does not act for the pleasure that the activity itself provides, but to receive a certain recognition. Therefore, external reinforcements that encourage him to attribute his participation to external motives may reduce his internal motivation.
What the coach can do
Operationally, the coach should not use reinforcements that are perceived by the athlete to be more important than participation in the sport itself, but should provide useful feedback to increase the sense of satisfaction that the young person derives from the competitive experience. In this regard it has been documented that sports results that are perceived as the result of internal personal factors, such as skill, dedication, commitment, rather than external factors (luck, limited ability of opponents, refereeing decisions in favor) are associated with states of mind of satisfaction and pride.
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