Joe Buck, the sports announcer, had an interview show titled, “Undeniable”. He had in-depth interviews with athletes and sports celebrities. One theme has resonated with me. A general manager of a pro football team was quoted as saying, “I want to draft players who are afraid of losing more than they want to win.!”
That theme of “afraid to lose” drives athletes to work above and beyond their opponents. If I had to choose one difference between the champs and everyone else it would be preparation and the same motivation as all the great athletes and coaches-fear of losing!
That internal motivation will take an athlete to the top. Here are ten symptoms of internal motivation.
1. Athlete sets goals, writes them down, and strives to reach them!
2. Athlete begs parents to go to club so they can practice.
3. Athlete begs coach to practice rather than play.
4. Athlete understands they must practice more to get better.
5. Athlete stays on the court and will not come off until they perfect a shot.
6. Athlete gets practice book on their own and takes notes.
7. Athlete loses a match, and heads to the court to work on a weakness.
8. Athlete gets coaching help so they can reach their goals.
9. Athlete immerses self in the game and strives to learn from the best players and coaches available.
10. Athlete competes and measures themselves against themselves, not others!
Admittedly the above are observational information I have discovered in the last 50 some years of coaching and not hard and fast rules. Each athlete is different in how they process information. #4, #5, #9 and #10 seem to stand out!