How can motivation affect sports training and performance

In their detailed analysis it was found that:. The authors reported they could find no direct correspondence between specific behaviours of these participants and motivation; rather the relationship were complex. Motivation is a complex subject, and there is no quick formula available for achieving and maintaining it. It is clear that in order to maintain high levels of motivation the coach is crucial, and could be as important as the athlete, though other participants also have a role to play.

Every year sports psychology advances our understanding of motivation; and there is certainly a correlation between this and the continual improvement that we see in athletic performance. Your Name required. Your Email required. Best Number to Contact You required.

Your Message. Keegana, R. A qualitative investigation of the motivational climate in elite sport. Psychology of Sport and Exercise , 97— Cerasoli, C. Intrinsic motivation and extrinsic incentives jointly predict performance: A year meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin , In essence, this theory boils everything down to a range of psychological motivations that are broken down in order from the most important to the least important.

The only real problem with this theory is the fact that people will never completely agree on how each human need should be ranked. This theory is definitely the simplest of the three. To apply this logic in a sports setting, we would have to say that winning is the motivating factor.

Either way, a person is motivated by the thing for which they are directly striving. This theory is no longer as respected as it once was because the implementation of higher pay has usually failed to quell dissent among dissatisfied workers. There are a few things you can do that will help to improve your motivation and hopefully allow you to achieve the results about which you dream.

Whether we admit it or not, we all want to impress others. In fact, that is probably part of the reason that you started training in the first place.

Instead of denying this fact, use it to your advantage. Get a partner to train with you so that you can push each other to reach greater and greater heights. Science has confirmed the importance of this factor. Consider this study, for instance. Two groups of people were put on a weight-loss regimen, one group with partners and one group without partners.

Whenever you think about slacking off, think about the person against whom you will be competing. You should assume that they are training their hardest and that you need to do the same. Everyone has things that make them feel motivated. It might be a good song, or maybe your favorite movie. It might be nothing more than a catchphrase, or a quote from someone you really admire. Whatever it is, harness it and use it to your advantage. One of the biggest mistakes that coaches make in setting goals is that they are often too rigid in their approach.

The goal setting process works best when there is some flexibility and the individual athlete or team take ownership of each goal. Thus, coaches and managers are better off exercising some democracy when setting goals, particularly if working with more experienced athletes. Using extrinsic rewards. Thus, a reward should be informational in nature rather than controlling.

If a reward comes to be controlling, it can significantly undermine intrinsic motivation. Also, the reward should be presented to an athlete in front of all potential recipients with some emphasis placed on the prestige associated with it. A particularly good way to motivate athletes in training and prior to competition is through the use of music they perceive to be inspirational. Sydney Olympics rowing gold medallist, Tim Foster, now a respected coach, uses music to punctuate all of the indoor training sessions that he leads.

Therefore, work and recovery times are regulated by music. Research from Brunel University indicates that this approach increases work output, reduces perceived exertion and improves in-task affect — the pleasure experienced during the activity 14, Positive self-talk Positive self-talk is a technique that can be used to enhance motivation across a wide range of achievement domains. I use three types of self-talk in my work with athletes and will illustrate each with an example to assist you in coming up with your own.

The second type is known as mood-related self-talk, which impacts on how athletes feel. Each and every one of us has an untapped energy source that can be drawn upon to bring about superior results. If you have a leadership role in sport you will have considerable influence on how motivated your athletes or team might feel.

To work best, the techniques mentioned in this article need to be moulded around specific circumstances and the needs of individual athletes. Always strive to be original and innovative in the application of motivational techniques.

References 1. J Personality Social Psych ; 3. AmPsych ; 4. J Sports Sci ; 7. Brit J Educ Psych ; 8. J Sport Exerc Psych ; Psych Sport Exerc ; Res Quart Exerc Sport ; Vlachopoulos S and Karageorghis C under review J Sport Behav ; Aus J Psych; in press. What have been the most effective psychological coping strategies for elite athletes during the covid pandemic and what can we learn from their experiences?

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