MOTIVATION

Motivation is an important factor in anything you do. Most serious athletes are highly motivated individuals. But is all motivation good and healthy? Do all forms of motivation help athletes perform at their very best? I don't believe so.

Athletes that are intrinsically motivated have an internal desire to compete. They have a fire burning within that drives them to work hard to reach their goals. It is the love of the game and the love of the competition that drives these athletes. These athletes will also be likely develop the necessary mental toughness to match their physical abilities. They are likely to consistently remain motivated.

Athletes that are extrinsically motivated depend on external rewards for their motivation, such as trophies, praise or other awards. While it is always nice to receive praise and recognition for a job well done, if that is the primary source of an athlete's motivation, that athlete is likely to suffer from motivational difficulties. What happens when the reward is not present at the end? Does the athlete not try as hard? Does he temporarily lose motivation? When the rewards for performing one's sport become more important than the actual performance itself, that is a danger sign. That athlete will most likely experience motivational problems.

There are ways to deal with these issues and many other mental roadblocks that hold athletes back.

www.yourmentalgamecoach.com