Self-Motivation Looks Different in Different Types of Youth Athletes
One of the biggest mistakes parents make in youth sports is comparing their child to another young athlete. This happens all the time. For example, one kid on your child’s team is a flat out rock star. They do every drill hard and fast, listen to the coach intently, and show enthusiasm from start to finish in every practice and game. Nearly every parent but the parent of that kid secretly wonders why their child isn’t that way?
The fact is every child is different and every child finds their motivation through a different means. To put it another way, there is no one size fits all for motivation. Therefore, it’s much easier to be an effective coach or parent when you tailor your approach to fit an athlete’s unique personality.
Some athletes find their motivation when they have autonomy over what they do. Others find their motivation when they can easily see themselves continually getting better or making progress. While yet another type of athlete may need the context of a realistic step-by-step plan that connects with a purpose statement to find their motivation.
In short, the more you understand what innately makes an athlete tick the better you can help them develop self-motivation. If you are raising a young athlete who is not the poster child for motivation, try something different. Now is as good a time as any to evaluate their unique personality and strengths and find out what you can do different. Contact me here to find out how I can help you with this.