Research shows that parents and coaches play a huge role in the success of any athlete.
I have personally felt that without the constant motivation from my coach and his belief in my abilities, I would not have achieved the honor of becoming the first African athlete to win a skeleton race.
My journey from a small-time athlete, to representing my country in the 2018PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games would not have happened without my coach. He motivated me and kept encouraging me to achieve my goals.
Millions of young athletes participate in various sportsaround the world each year. These aspiring athletes often discover their love for the sport at a very young age and need constant motivation and guidance to become top professional athletes.
As parents and coaches, it is your responsibility to help them hone their skills and feel valued to motivate them to keep pushing forward.
Here are some tips to help you understand and motivate your athletes:
Encourage Open Communication
The most important factor to consider when motivating an athlete is open communication. You need to encourage the player to open up to you about their fears and aspirations. If they feel like you understand them, they will be more open to listen to your advice and to accept your guidance. You can also learn more about the athletes by communicating with them and develop a better relationship with them.
Tone Down the Criticism
Constructive criticism is the backbone of creating successful athletes. However, it’s essential to draw a line between constructive criticism and criticism just for its sake. Every coach and parent can feel frustrated at times. The frustration must not come out in the form of criticism—that could seriously harm the athlete. Use encouragement and instruction to help the athlete recognize their mistake and take the necessary steps to rectify it.
Commend Their Success Even If It’s A Small Victory
Most young athletes want to have fun and feel successful when they are participating in any sport. As a coach, you need to keep commending any success or improvement in their skills and abilities to encourage the players to keep striving for more. No victory is too small, even if it’s something as simple as finishing a tough practice drill.
Set Realistic and Achievable Goals
Setting goals that the athlete can strive towards and achieve can be a tremendous motivator. However, if you set unrealistic goals that the player is unlikely to achieve, it could backfire by affecting their psyche and confidence in their abilities. Set achievable goals according to the athlete’s skills, age, and ability level and celebrate each time they hit a particular milestone.
Keep Reminding Them About Their Love for The Sport
Over time, athletes tend to lose their focus and lose sight of their end goal. They might become depressed after losing a game or feel overwhelmed by the competition. At times like these, it’s the coach or parent’s job to make them think back to why they started playing the sport in the first place and encourage them to reassess their goals. It can also help to remind them that it’s just a game, and the main thing is to have fun while trying your best!
For more inspiration and motivation, follow my journeyas I attempt to win Afriac’s first Winter Olympic Games medal at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
FAQs
The key to motivating young athletes is to tap into what excites them about playing and performing For example, if an athlete enjoys sports because it provides friendship, parents should find experiences that would support this need. Parents should also model enthusiasm about sports to improve kids' motivation.
How do you motivate a student athlete? ›
Motivating Young Athletes
- Monitor your feedback to athletes. Let athletes know what they do well as well as what needs improvement (e.g., good hustle, nice effort, good catch, way to be in the right place). ...
- Individualize athlete feedback. Respond to mistakes based on the athlete's current ability. ...
- Encourage teamwork.
These reasons fall into the two major categories of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Athletes who are intrinsically motivated participate in sports for internal reasons, such as enjoyment, whereas athletes who are extrinsically motivated participate in sports for external reasons, such as material rewards.
What motivates you to become an athlete? ›
Athletes can be motivated by a variety of factors, such as personal goals, team goals, competition, and the desire to improve and achieve success. Here are some ways to motivate athletes: Set clear goals: Establish specific, measurable, and achievable goals for both individual athletes and the team as a whole.
How to motivate a 12 year old athlete? ›
8 Constructive Ways to Push Your Child in Youth Sports
- Ask the right question after practices or games. ...
- Offer opportunities for your young athlete to work outside of practice. ...
- Be at as many games as you can. ...
- Offer praise for hard work. ...
- Let your young athlete bask in and enjoy good games, points scored and games won.
Authentic – Say things you genuinely mean. Comments such as “you're a role model” can really motivate others and increase performance. Confidence building – Expressing your belief in the athlete is a great way to boost their confidence. Actions such as applauding and cheering are very encouraging.
What to say to motivate an athlete? ›
15 Inspiring Sports Quotes for Athletes and Coaches Alike
- “Never say never because limits, like fears, are often just illusions.” ...
- “You miss 100% of the shots you don't take.” ...
- “If my mind can conceive it and my heart can believe it - then I can achieve it.”
The “4 M's of Motivation” are: (1) Mission, (2) Move, (3) Momentum and (4) Mindset.
How do you motivate a player? ›
Be Liberal with Rewards and Encouragement
The most important rewards you can give are free. They include a pat on the back, a smile, clapping, verbal praise or a friendly nod. The more a coach uses encouraging statements and rewards, the more motivated the players will be.
Who is a good motivator in sports? ›
A successful coach is a motivator with a positive attitude and enthusiasm for the sport and the athletes. A coach who can motivate is able to generate the desire to excel in their athletes. When motivating a player, a good coach stresses trying to reach performance goals, not outcome goals.
Motivation tends to disappear as the burnout experience develops. Athletes described a shift in motivation from intrinsic to becoming more extrinsically motivated, resulting in amotivation at the end.
How can I be a successful athlete? ›
Take this to heart, and watch your performance improve!
- Write Down Your Goals. ...
- Have a Good Diet. ...
- Master the Fundamentals. ...
- Be Consistent and Don't Expect Results to Come Immediately. ...
- Improve Core Strength. ...
- Push Your Limits. ...
- Improve Your Sports-Specific Strength. ...
- Train Your Brain.
Positive motivation is a reward for good performance. This does not have to be an extrinsic motivator, but can also be an intrinsic motivator, such as the good feeling that comes with achieving a goal or doing a personal best.
How to stay motivated to play sports? ›
Here are some effective ways to get yourself motivated:
- Set Clear Goals: Start by setting specific and achievable goals for yourself. ...
- Find Your Passion: Engage in sports activities that you genuinely enjoy. ...
- Create a Routine: Establish a regular schedule for playing sports.
Positive reinforcement
If an athlete lacks motivation, it is essential to overbalance the positive reinforcement slightly. Praise your athlete for their hard work, training bests, a PR, or work ethic. Sport includes both success and failure; success usually does not come without failure.
How do you encourage a struggling athlete? ›
It's important to help your athletes get back to thinking about the present and about what they need to do to be successful. Also, make sure to speak in a positive language. Keep your coaching cues short and sweet. Make sure you're telling them what to do and how to do it.
How do you inspire and motivate youth? ›
Be a Role Model: As adults, we can inspire youth by being positive role models. Demonstrate the value of hard work, resilience, and lifelong learning through your actions and behaviors. Celebrate Achievements: Acknowledge and celebrate the achievements, no matter how small they may seem.
How do you motivate an unmotivated child? ›
And there are a number of things parents can do to help motivate kids to try harder.
- Get involved. ...
- Use reinforcement. ...
- Reward effort rather than outcome. ...
- Help them see the big picture. ...
- Let them make mistakes. ...
- Get outside help. ...
- Make the teacher your ally. ...
- Get support for yourself.
