The Athlete’s Guide to Athletic Motivation

“You can accomplish almost anything if you’re willing to pay the price.”

“Success in anything in this world is 75 percent mental. You might say it is character in action.”

Vince Lombardi

“It isn’t a question of what you are contributing, as much as what you can contribute… The important thing is to play to the peak of your capabilities.”  Bob Cousy

“… The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood … who knows the greatest enthusiasm, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause, … who in the end knows at best the triumph of high achievement and at worse fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat.”  Theodore Roosevelt

WHAT MAKES A WINNER?

            The obvious answer to that question is, “A talented individual who has managed to achieve his full potential.”

            The answer may seem simple, but the struggle to achieve success is enormously complex, and it may involve a number of factors of which the athlete is unaware of or fails to consider.

            At some time in his life, every serious athlete should stop and evaluate his involvement in competitive sports. Some very important questions may arise:

1.       What is his attitude toward competition and winning?

2.       What are his real reasons for participating in sports?

3.       Just how talented is he?

4.       Does he possess the personality traits necessary to help him achieve his full potential?

ATTITUDE TOWARD COMPETITION AND WINNING

            There may be no greater test of a person’s character than to be placed in situations of stress like those found in athletics. Seen in its finest and most realistic sense, athletic participation enables a person to learn discipline and to meet the challenge of facing other individuals mentally, physically, and emotionally. The player’s philosophy of competition must, of necessity, be closely related to his philosophy of life.

            The winning of games has too long been the yardstick for measuring athletic success. This is not to say that the WILL TO WIN is not important. It is very much a part of the total development of the person. Winning should be defined as a player working to his full potential. This does not necessarily mean that he will win every game. It does mean that he will enjoy considerable athletic success. More importantly, he is creating habits and characteristics that will have lasting value outside the sports environment.