What sort of motivational signs are you hanging?
I have been very fortunate to serve at several different sport programs throughout the years and have been in my fair share of coach’s offices. Within these walls, I have heard many coaches complain that their athletes just don’t seem to give enough effort. I’ve also noticed within these confines a multitude of “motivational” signs and/or quotes displayed upon the walls from legendary coaches such as Vince Lombardi and athletes like Michael Jordan.
The error here lies not in the act of trying to inspire others to “inspire others,” but rather not taking advantage of the opportunity to teach others how to foster motivation. Just like coaching on the field, it is not enough to simply say, “just do it” to your athletes; a good coach needs to be able to teach and equip those under his/her supervision with the knowledge on how to perform a certain skill.
A common misconception is that intrinsic motivation is a fixed trait; however, research has shown that motivation can be enhanced or developed by using a number of certain tactics and strategies. One effective way is to use the acronym CAR when putting together a practice plan. Competence, Autonomy and Relationships best describe an individual who is self determined and is inspired by the sheer enjoyment of the activity.
Wall-space is limited and should be considered a precious entity. Rather than pinning up a poster of an iceberg or jungle-cat, why not hang a sign that actually informs a coach on how to create a mastery climate, where individuals are always seeking to improve? You most likely have a playbook for offense and defense; perhaps it’s time to create a culture playbook as well.
Coach Nelson holds a doctorate in sport and performance psychology and currently serves as a high school football coach. He has worked for multiple professional sport franchises, a Fortune 100 Company, a division 1 athletic departments and has won numerous awards for his LEADership abilities.
His mission is to positively influence the world through Love, Effort, Attitude and Discipline (#LEAD). To learn more about the LEAD philosophy follow him on Twitter Levi Nelson or reach out via email at rln10@zips.uakron.edu He’d love to learn about or help you in your journey!
PCA: https://www.positivecoach.org/team/nelson-levi/
References
Su’a, J. (2015, November 14). Episode 2; How To Be More Motivated. Increase Your Impact with Justin Su’a A Podcas for Leaders. Podcast retrieved from http://increaseyourimpact.libsyn.com/page/15/size/25
Williams, J. M., & Krane, V. (2015). Applied sport psychology: Personal growth to peak performance, 7th edition. New York, NY : McGraw-Hill.
