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How to stimulate the motivation

The American former sprinter Michael Johnson, Olympic winner of five gold medals and eight-time world champion, summed up the importance of motivation:

“My best motivation is always coming from the pure joy of running and racing, is the same thrill that I had as a child of 10 years. Have you ever met a 10 year old child sickened by what he does? You have to find their initial motivation for this reason you will become an architect. This is the secret of perseverance.”

Sport should allow the emergence of an attitude that can be summarized in the following sentence: “It’s thanks to my commitment and the pleasure I feel that I became increasingly good at what I do.” The performances motivated by an inner strength are based on the subjective perception of satisfaction coming from performing a specific task. Therefore any outside intervention to reduce this athlete’s perception will negatively affect their motivation. This is the case when the athletes perform only to receive a reward. Sport performance represents only a mean to achieve another purpose that becomes, instead, the true purpose: the young do not act for their pleasure to practice sport but to receive a specific recognition. Therefore, the external reinforcements encouraging the athletes to perform for external reasons reduce their internal motivation. The coaches should not make use of reinforcements that are perceived as most important of the same sport participation, but they should provide helpful tips to increase the athletes’ feeling of satisfaction.

If the sport results will be perceived as the result of internal factors personal, such as the ability, dedication, commitment rather than external factors (luck, limited ability of opponents, refereeing decisions in favor) they are associated with personal satisfaction and pride.

The external reinforcements that an athlete receives however can also play a positive action. For example, children who have not yet had an experience sports or with adults who have reduced sports experience. In this case external reinforcements for the supply of sports equipment or gadgets, or social support derived from practice are elements that encourage participation. The same applies to the financial rewards obtained by high-level athletes in recognition of their sporting value.

Every coach knows that the goal setting  is essential to enhance the motivation and improve the performances. In this regard:

  • Working on goals defined and accepted helps to improve the overall atmosphere and the emotional climate of the workout. You get a reduction of problems related to delays, laziness and lack of group discipline.
  • Athletes, even the youngest, strengthen more and more their autonomy and learn to take responsibility for their choices. in this case  it’s increased  the determination to achieve the objectives and to maximize the individual potential.
  • The coaches leadership is accepted by the athletes through the increase of their personal credibility.

Finally, despite the importance played by goal setting in increasing the performance, there is also another reason that  it makes it necessary on the part of the athlete. In fact, if the sport and competition have a social value, so each individual has the right to succeed. Certainly in the sport of absolute level, the struggle for success is for the podium and who can aspire to this kind of result is aware of the difficulties he/she will meet along this road. Then there is the success of all of those who have set their goals properly and are committed to achieving them. Every person involved in the sport has the responsibility to reach the personal success. It’s the case of those who want to run a marathon in 4 hours, if they reach this result they won their race.

The observation of children engaged in sports activities not organized by adults should teach adults something very important: if they do not reach the goal they have set themselves, they lower the level, learning from mistakes and trying again and again. After a series of adjustments and tests the success is guaranteed. The opposite happens when instead they are successful, they increase the level of difficulty. In other words, this means that almost spontaneously the young people change their goals by moving them to the limit of their capabilities. The mistakes are used as an integral part of the learning process and they are not perceived as a failure.

How to motivate ourselves

The US track&field Michael Johnson, who won five gold medals at the Olympics and eight-time world champion, summed up the importance of motivation:

“My best motivation has always come from the pure joy of running and racing, it’s the same thrill that I had as a child of 10 years. Have you ever met a 10 year old child sickened by what he does? You have to find your own initial motivation. This is the secret of perseverance. ”

Sport activities should allow the emergence of an attitude that can be summed up in the following sentence:

“It’s thanks to my commitment and the pleasure I feel that I become more and more skilled at what I do.”

The activities motivated by an inner strength are based on the subjective perception of satisfaction coming from performing a specific task.

On the contrary, any external intervention in the athlete tending to reduce this inner awareness will negatively affect the motivation. It happens when an athlete performs only to receive material rewards (winning a trophy, money) or recognition from others (“I do it for my parents or for the coach who will be so happy or because I will be more admired by my fellow”). Sport performance  becomes only a means to achieve another purpose that becomes, instead, the true purpose of the action: the young is not acting for the pleasure it provides sport but to receive a certain recognition. Therefore, the external reinforcements encouraging the athlete to perform for external reasons will reduce the internal motivation.

The coaches should not make use of reinforcements perceived by the athletes as most important than their performances, but they should provide useful suggestions to increase the feeling of satisfaction to perform at their best.

Sport results that are perceived to be the result of internal personal factors, such as the ability, dedication, commitment rather than external factors (luck, reduced ability of opponents, referees’ decisions) are associated with satisfaction feelings and pride.