Over the last 10+ years I’ve been Coaching a couple of things have become clear:
You CAN’T Motivate Players but you can Demotivate them; a Coaches Job is to create an Environment that encourages a Players Motivation to flourish.
Success doesn’t come from having more Motivation. It comes from doing what you need to do, even if you don’t have the Motivation to do it: GRIT!
Avoid looking for ways to boost your Motivation. Desire, discipline and commitment are the true keys to being World Class. Motivation is a luxury; it’s tinsel on a Christmas Tree. This’s why having a structured Plan, orientated around a specific Goal is worth its weight in gold. I say this with confidence due to the success of the Individuals I support via my Connected Coaching Programme.
However, I think we can agree that Motivation (or ‘Drive’) is an important element to being good at anything. Without it people simply wouldn’t put in the hours required to refine their ‘Trade’. However, the more I Coach, the more I realise Motivation ebbs and flows, it comes and goes, it adapts and morphs.
This is a VITAL thing to understand: the reason(s) why you participate can and likely will change i.e. your initial reason for playing might not be your current reason. Things change and it’s vital you stay aware of, connected to and regularly remind yourself WHY you participate.
It’s also important to understand how potent your reason(s) for participation are, as some have proven to be more effective than others. However, there’s no right or wrong when it comes to Motivation. The essential thing is that you use your reason(s) to keep you participating and improving. The below will help you understand where your Motivation sits in the spectrum.
Types of Motivation
Motivation can be categorised into three types: Amotivation, Intrinsic and Extrinsic:
Amotivation
The first type of Motivation is Amotivation. This is when an individual has very low levels of Motivation towards any given task. From a sporting perspective, an Amotivated Athlete doesn’t know why they participate, they won’t find any benefits from participation. Behaviours that relate to Amotivation are a lack of competence and little commitment. An example of this is a Child playing a Sport because their Parent forces them… NOT GOOD!
Intrinsic
The Second Type of Motivation is Intrinsic Motivation. This is the internal Drive a person has to participate or to perform well. This can be broken down into three parts: Knowledge, Accomplishment and Stimulation:
The Knowledge aspect of Intrinsic Motivation reflects the need to learn new skills
The Accomplishment aspect reflects the Athletes need to achieve a sense of Mastery of a task and to feel a sense of achievement from said Mastery.
The Stimulation aspect reflects the sensation associated physically experiencing a specific task.
Intrinsic motivation often leads to an overall positive affect on Behaviours and Outcomes. Intrinsic Motivation is advised as the persons behaviour is a result of internal Drive e.g. somebody participating because it’s fun and enjoyable - they want to see how good they can be (Mastery) rather than doing it for a reward. As a result they have a high probability of prolonged participation and improved performance as a result.
Extrinsic
The third type of Motivation is Extrinsic Motivation, which is the Drive to participate caused by motives that are external or environmental. For example; an Athlete is participating to receive a reward or to avoid punishment.
The healthiest form of Extrinsic Motivation is known as “Integrated Regulation”, which is very similar to Intrinsic Motivation; Behaviour, rather than being externally controlled becomes internally controlled. However, the Behaviour is Extrinsically Motivated as it is used to achieve a Goal rather than for the joy of participation.
A great example of this is what we’ve seen in this years Premier League Title Race between Liverpool and Manchester City. The Level of competition between the two sides has driven the quality of their play to astonishing levels, resulting in Extrinsic rewards i.e. Manchester City winning the Premier League and Liverpool Winning both the Premier League and the Champions League.
From my Experience effective Motivation is a blend of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Factors - we don’t live in a vacuum! Many Athletes are Driven by the Extrinsic rewards Sport can bring to elevate their situation i.e. Liverpool and Manchester Cities rivalry: the Extrinsic Motivation of defeating a rival can be extremely effective.
However, in an ideal World, participation should be predominately Intrinsically Motivated as failure to achieve an Extrinsic Goal/Reward can demotivate, evoke poor Performance, discourage Participation and could even result in Dropout (stop Playing altogether).
Reflection
To Reflect:
Stop looking for ways to boost your Motivation. Success doesn’t come from having more Motivation. It comes from doing what you need to do, even if you don’t have the Motivation to do it: GRIT!
Amotivation depicts Behaviour lacking intension which leads to disorganisation, frustrated involvement and should be avoided at all costs!
The Motivation to defeat a rival can be extremely effective. However, in an ideal World, participation should be predominately Intrinsically Motivated as failure to achieve an Extrinsic Goal/Reward can be demotivate, evoke poor Performance, discourage Participation and could even result in Dropout (stop Playing altogether).
There is no hierarchy when it comes to Motivation. Your reasons are your reasons and as long as you’re aware of them, stay connected to them it and ensure they’re Positively influencing your well-being, participation and performance then there’s no issue.
I hope the above has proved useful and/or insightful? If you’re interested in engaging with a Structured Coaching Plan to support your Goals take a look at my Connected Coaching Programme and get in touch.
Thanks for reading!
Oliver C. Morton
The Leading Edge Golf Company
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