Athletes participate in sports for various reasons -- anything from an instinctual hunger for physical activity and competition to finding a genuine sense of team and community through athletics. Sports coaches, trainers, team members and athletes can improve performance by finding the right motivation for each situation and player. Specific motivational theories exist that apply psychological concepts to sports for increased drive and performance.
Extrinsic Motivation
Extrinsic motivation is motivation that comes from an outside source. Some of it is tangible, like financial or other material rewards, including trophies or medals. Tangible extrinsic motivation is not always possible, or even that healthy, for athletes who may become too focused on materialism at the expense of other aspects of sports. Intangible extrinsic motivation includes praise, recognition and achievement.
Intrinsic Motivation
Intrinsic motivation comes from within the athlete or player. It includes a natural desire to overcome challenges and pride and enjoyment in the repetition of a skill. These factors can be used to remind yourself why you participate in a certain sport when you're refining techniques, or it can simply keep everyone feeling good about their work. Intrinsic motivation is often best supported by a series of goals, whether they're enhanced skill sets or victories in competition.
Theory of Vitality
The theory of vitality posits that vitality influences future capacity for performance. An athlete has a baseline vitality with which to work and won't stray far from that point. Vitality is then affected by actions or effects that either thwart or satisfy the player's needs. For example, if a player is extrinsically motivated and praise isn't forthcoming, the player's vitality sinks and he loses motivation. Similarly, if a player loves a game and keeps winning at it, her intrinsic enjoyment is satisfied, her vitality rises and she is motivated to continue.
Sandwich Theory
The sandwich theory motivates athletes to correct or improve without destroying their sense of enjoyment, pride or inclusion as an equal team member. You can use this theory on yourself by noticing your positive contributions to your team, too. When crafting criticism, sandwich the need between positive reinforcement. This motivates athletes to put forth the necessary effort for improvement, Dr. Lee Crust explains, because their larger extrinsic or intrinsic needs are being met.
Amotivation
Amotivation is when players lack motivation. This happens for a few reasons. Sometimes, the player has no sense of capacity and truly doesn't believe he is capable of performing the way that's required. Other times, the player doesn't understand the connection between the actions required or requested and the desired outcome. In these instances, coaches and trainers can build self-esteem by carefully building skill sets. Another solution is conditioning athletes to understand how their improvements in technique or athleticism benefit their overall performance or their team.
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