Motivation is vital since it is the one factor in sports performance over which you have control. Motivation has a direct influence on the amount of achievement you eventually attain. If you are strongly determined to enhance your performance, you will put in the necessary time and effort. Otherwise, you will lose hope and drop out.
The more motivated you are, the better you will perform. You need to be confident in yourself and your abilities if you want to succeed. Without confidence, how can you expect to achieve anything? Never underestimate your potential or that of others. Always believe that you can do things even when others say you cannot. Remember, nothing in life is impossible if you don't give up.
Having said that, let us now see what factors determine motivation in athletes:
Factors determining motivation in athletes
An athlete's motivation is influenced by various factors such as his personality, experience, and environment. Some of these factors are internal and some are external to the athlete. For example, an athlete's motivation may increase due to feeling proud after achieving something great or it may decrease due to getting injured. These are all factors that affect an athlete's motivation internally.
Other factors that affect an athlete's motivation externally include family, friends, and coaches.
Intrinsic motivation is a long-term incentive to participate in sports since it takes a long time for this type of desire to fade. Extrinsic motivation is motivation that originates from outside of us rather than inside us, such as personal pride.
Goals might be as large as major changes or as tiny as minor tweaks. * Performance: The most important aspect of becoming a top level athlete is performance, because one mistake may cost you a lot of money. If an athlete has previously performed poorly in a game, this may be utilized as motivation to become inspired and better for the next time they compete.
The biggest problem with extrinsic motivation is that the incentives might lose their potency and worth over time. For example, if a player gets paid PS200,000 per week plus a PS15,000 extra for scoring a goal, this will not be a primary priority because they are already well compensated, resulting in a loss of appeal to the reward.
When it comes to optimal performance in your chosen activity, you must consider both mental and physical variables. Even the most physically adept individuals will discover that their magnificent physiques are useless in the absence of a mind and the desire to drive them.
Motivation, according to self-determination theory, comes from two sources: extrinsic and intrinsic. Intrinsically driven athletes play for the love of the sport, may like competition, are concerned with having fun, and are eager to gain skills that will enhance their performance (Weinberg & Gould, 2015). Extrinsically motivated athletes pursue the rewards that come with winning or performing well, such as money, fame, promotion, etc.
Intrinsically driven athletes are more likely to practice regularly because they find pleasure in doing so, while extrinsically driven athletes tend to continue playing even when they experience pain or injury because this allows them to achieve success.
It's not easy to say which type of motivation is better for training - both are important. It all depends on your goal as an athlete. If you want to succeed in a competitive environment, where your achievements can be recognized by others, then it makes sense to be intrinsically driven. On the other hand, if you just want to go through the motions and feel no emotion during training, that's also fine. It's up to you to decide what kind of attitude you want to have.
If you're motivated by enjoyment or desire to learn, you'll put in more effort than if you're motivated by rewards or consequences.
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