Training for motivation – What can Sports Performance Coaching achieve?

Whether you are an elite athlete or participate in activity for health reasons and for fun then there is one common problem for all - how do you stay motivated? Of course some people are more self-disciplined or motivated than others however there is no getting away from it; pounding the pedals, the pool, or the track can get you down. On top of this, when it’s a dreary day or you are feeling the pressures of life; isn’t it so much easier to stay at home and have a cup of tea?

How can you keep motivated particularly when the going gets tough? Well I’m afraid the answer is that you have to work at it. I challenge anyone who can wave a magic wand to provide motivation. This is because motivation is an internal energy that keeps us moving and energy is difficult to obtain and retain.

Therefore it has to be accepted that motivation is an integral part of the training programme and since it doesn’t always flow easily then it needs to be worked upon. How often do we see both individuals and teams fail not because they haven’t got the physical capability but because they are lacking in drive, attitude and confidence.

So what can a sports performance coach do to help?

In the same way a sports coach can hone physical skills such as co-ordination, power, flexibility and ball control then a sports performance coach can help with the motivation training programme in order to achieve results and ultimately the desired goals. They have at their disposal a number of tools and techniques that can be used for training. Whatever an individual’s sporting/physical level here are just three important ways that a sports performance coach can help achieve success.

Firstly, they can ensure that an individual is crystal clear on their purpose and goals. This is done through questions such as “what does being an athlete/player do for you?” “What will it do for you once you have achieved the goal(s) you want?” “How will you feel when you have achieved the goal?” If people have enough compelling reasons they will do anything otherwise wrong decisions can often be made.

How many times do you hear of people joining gyms for reasons such as they want to lose weight but then never actually go near them so end up doing nothing? Gyms are not cheap and so this seems rather a waste of money. There may be strong reasons to lose weight but have people questioned whether the gym is the right environment for an individual when invariably people actually hate the gym but may love an alternative activity such as dancing. Finding fun is the priority and then a great body work out will naturally follow. This will promote a ‘feel good factor’ which will naturally get you to want more of the same. If an elite athlete is no longer having fun at their chosen sport, is it not time to hang their boots up and choose another challenge?

Once a vision has been formed of what is wanted, then the athlete along with the sports performance coach can work on making the vision bigger, brighter and even more compelling and this image can then be accessed whenever the going gets tough.

Secondly everyone has strategies for the way that they do things and for achieving results. However sometimes these strategies break down and they don’t serve us well. This is the time to take stock and take a different approach to how goals can be achieved. At times, it is difficult to think of new and creative strategies. Bouncing ideas around with a performance coach can reshape thinking and open new possibilities. This can then provide a new lease of life.

Thirdly it is important to measure progress and then reward yourself for progress made. Most goals can be split into milestones and so tracking progress is straightforward. If we are going to run the marathon we are not going to start by running 26 miles on the first day of training. By keeping a chart and breaking the task into manageable chunks it will help with motivation. If each milestone is passed easily, then how nice it is to reward yourself. This is one of the most powerful ways to keep motivated.

So these practical approaches can now be added to the training regime and they will aid motivation. Always keep in mind though Agassi’s realisation. He hated playing tennis but was forced into it by his father until he got to a stage in his career that actually he was choosing to play the game and nobody else was influencing him. Therefore he was able to get on and enjoy it!