TOPIC 2

MOTIVATION IN SPORT
BY ROSELINE ERTAU ANAK JUGAI
 Introduction

Motivation is the drive within us to achieve our aims. In sports it may be the aim to
be successful or to beat an opponent. Motivation is also needed to overcome
challeneges and continue training.
Motivation in sports is why people do what they do. It is also the direction and
intensity of one’s effort and determination to achieve. The more motivated one is, the
more likely one is to succeed. Sports,which involve emotion, competition,
cooperation, achievement, and play provide a rich area for psychological study.
People involved in sports attempt to master very difficult skills, often subjecting
themselves to intense physical stress as well as social pressure. research has
expanded into numerous areas such as imagery training, hypnosis, relaxation
training, motivation, socialization, conflict and competition, counseling, and coaching.
Specific sports and recreational specialties studied include baseball, basketball,
soccer, volleyball, tennis, golf, fencing, dance, and many others.
Motivation is an internal energy force that determines all aspects of our behavior.
It also impacts on how we think, feel and interact with others. In sport, high
motivation is widely accepted as an essential prerequisite in getting athletes to fulfill
their potential. However, it is a force that is often difficult to exploit fully. Some
coaches appear to have a ‘magic touch’, being able to get a great deal more out of a
team than the sum of its individual parts. Others find motivation to be an elusive
concept they are forever struggling to master. What is it that makes individuals like
churn out outstanding performances year in, year out? Elite athletes have developed
an ability to channel their energies extremely effectively. Indeed, motivation is
essentially about the direction of effort over a prolonged period of time. 
Definitions of motivation

Motivation can be classified in many ways and as like other determinants of

mental toughness such as personality it can affected by many things.Motivation can
include our inner drive to perform, but it is also affect by the external sporting factors
such as winning medals.

A simple definition of motivation would be the direction and intensity of our

sporting behaviour.Direction meaning the sports we choose and the commitments
that come with this, such as training and competition schedule.Intensity meaning the
amount of hard work that goes into each and every one of the planned sessions.

Therefore an athlete that goes to every training session, works to their full potential
every time and gives their best in competitions is highly motivated. In contrast an
athlete that frequently skips sessions or is not focussed on the task in hand can be
considered less motivated.
The theories of motivation in sports

Athletes participate in sports for various reasons, from a hunger for physical
activity and competition to the joy of belonging to a team. Coaches can improve the
team's 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.

Theory of Vitality

The theory of vitality dictates that vitality influences the future capacity for
performance. An athlete has a baseline vitality with which to work and won't stray far
from that point. Actions or effects affect that vitality and 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. Doing so
motivates athletes to put forth the necessary effort for improvement because their
larger extrinsic or intrinsic needs are being met.