What we do well: Developing LEADers with “pride stickers”.
A common way to motivate players in high school and college football is via the use of “pride stickers” that players can earn to display on their helmet. Most of the time, these stickers are awarded based on individual statistics (e.g., number of tackles, total points scored, yards gained, etc.) or by the final score (e.g., winning, beating a conference rival, etc.). While I have no issue in striving to win and/or doing the things necessary in order to do so, the use of external motivation (e.g., pride stickers) can be fleeting if the team is not winning or competitive in game situations. A coach should also recognize that praise given based on the scoreboard or box score may not entice players who are not seeing the field or receiving adequate playing time. Instead, to develop true, long lasting, internal motivation in all athletes, a coach should reward those under his or her supervision by incentivizing the things in which the athlete can control.
According to self-determination theory (SDT), a coach can foster intrinsic motivation in those they lead by creating an environment in which all team members believe they are good at what they do (competence) and feel like they have a sense of control (autonomy) over the situation. This explains why the emphasis of “pride stickers” that can only be achieved secondary to on the field results do not work for all team members. Rather than emphasizing the outcome, a coach should consider what principles he/she believes contribute to success and reward accordingly.
In our program, we believe the characteristics of Love, Effort, Attitude, and Discipline LEAD to peak performance both on and off the field and are the key fundamentals on which to build a program. For this reason, coaches only reward players who display those qualities. A star player may be born with innate qualities that allow him to score a touchdown on Friday nigh. However, we feel that if the athlete doesn’t live out our core fundamentals, he/she will never reach their true potential (which is the ultimate goal of coaching: to get each player to perform at the best of his/her ability both on and off the field).
Recently I noticed that one of our JV/scout team player’s helmet was almost full of pride stickers, despite him not playing very much. This young man may not be the most physically gifted athlete; however, he earns straight A’s, has yet to miss a practice, knows what to do when given the opportunity, plays as hard as anyone on our team, and even stays after practice each day to sweep the locker room floor (even though he was never asked to do so). As a coach, I cannot control the talent level of our players, but I wish all of the players in our program exhibited this type of behavior.
Like a dog that asks to be let outside because she knows she receives a treat when she comes back in, human beings will also do the things they are rewarded for in most situations, but only if they feel they are capable of meeting expectations. For example, a sales manager could use incentives such as money or a luxury vacation to motivate his/her salesforce. However, if the sales team does not have confidence in their ability to move product or believes the goal is too high, they may quickly give up or worse yet, not even try. The same holds true in athletics. If a student athlete does not feel capable of achieving the goals set for them, they are much less likely to try to achieve them. A player may not be able to control the amount of raw talent he/she possesses (or even the outcome of a contest in a team setting), but they can always put forth effort and utilize a positive attitude in any circumstance. Focusing on “the controllables” builds self esteem, a lasting work ethic (Woolsey & Portenga, n.d.) and faster improvement than if a coach focuses only on the scoreboard” (Thompson, 2003).
Coach Nelson holds a doctorate in sport and performance psychology and currently serves as a high school football coach, trainer for the positive coaching alliance (PCA) and adjunct faculty member at Grand Canyon University. 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!
References
Thompson, J. (2003). The double-goal coach: Positive coaching tools for honoring the game and developing winners in sports and life. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers ISBN-13: 978–0060505318
Woolsey, C. L, & Portenga. (n.d). The practical use of Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and MI pinciples in coaching: How to positively motivate athletes to autonomously choose to improve [Power Point Slides]. Retrieved from https://webcampus.uws.edu/course/view.php?id=1939
