Untitled Document

Successful Coaches’ Views on Motivation and Motivational Strategies

Hansen, B., Gilbert, W., & Hamel, T. (in press). Journal of Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance.

Abstract

In order to reach their potential, athletes must sustain a high level of motivation over many years of practice and competition. The discussion on motivation that follows is based on data collected from a sample of five highly successful Division I men’s college basketball coaches. The coaches collectively represented 117 years of collegiate coaching experience and won 2 National Championships, 10 Final Four Tournament appearances, 34 conference championships and 22 conference coach of the year titles. The data were collected through phenomenological interviews and analysis was completed using phenomenological procedures (Dale, 1996). The coaches described 25 different definitions or meanings of motivation and 31 different motivational strategies. A summary of the most often mentioned (three or more coaches) meanings and strategies is presented. Player effort and coaches’ personality were the most often cited aspects of motivation. All five coaches indicated that a player giving maximum effort is the essence of motivation. The most often cited strategy was ‘challenging players’. This strategy involved verbally questioning the players’ intensity or certain aspects of their toughness. Although there are some common patterns, the results also highlight the individual or personal nature of motivating athletes. Ultimately, consideration of individual athlete personality differences and the level of competition (i.e., college vs. high school vs. youth sport) should frame coaches’ efforts to motivate their athletes towards realizing their full potential.