Psychology behind Motivation in Sports - Coursework Example

Running head: PSYCHOLOGY BEHIND MOTIVATION IN SPORTS Psychology behind motivation in sports Name Date Introduction Psychology in sports focuses on the mental and behavioral processes of peoples within socio cultural context of competitive sports. Inside this lies social behavior like competition or achievement and associated feelings and thoughts like motivation, anxiety, and self-esteem. Sports psychologies are divided into four areas of study. These areas are one, the relationship between personality and sports participation; two, is the attempt to understand motivation as the complicate process that influences people to start an activity and pursue it with a lot of strength and perseverance, this will include self-perceptions such as stress, self-confidence, and self-esteem that has influence in sports motivational behavior. Third, is interpersonal and group processes that influence individuals’ behaviors in sports, such as the presents of spectators, group membership, and leadership (Balisunset, 2002). The fourth area of psychological skills or mental training encompasses using intervention techniques to study behavioral strategies and cognitive skills that will improve human development and performance in sports. Motivation is an energy force within an individual that determines all aspects of ones behavior and it has an impact on how we feel, think, and interact with others. High motivation in sports is extensively accepted as a vital prerequisite in getting sports men fulfill their potential. Though, in its inherent abstract in nature, it is a force that is normally hard to be fully exploited. Some coaches, like inter Milan manager Jose Mourinho appear to have a “magic touch”, being able to get a great deal more out of a team than the sum of individual parts; others find motivation to be an elusive concept they are forever struggling to master (Balisunset, 2002). In reality, motivation is necessary about the direction of the effort over a long period of time. People have different motivation in pursuit of their goals. There are numerous significant factors that fuel this intrinsic motivation for one to be self-determining and competent. First, each an every person feels competent for diverse reasons. A recent research conducted in sports psychology reveals that individuals have different goals for achievement and to clearly understand what motivation is, we should understand how each person defines competence or success for himself or herself. The second important factor that influence motivation is what is referred by psychologist as perceptions of control. Peoples are motivated to be self-determining, this means that we should be in control of our own actions and behavior. Individuals with more internal perceptions of control are more motivated than individuals who feel others control them or that they are lucky (Saviano, 2001). There are two psychological constructs that affect motivation, these are self-esteem and self-confidence. Self-esteem is individual’s perception of worthiness and emotional feelings related with that perception. Psychologist view self-esteem as the greatest centre core component of one’s identity, and hence it has the main influence on individual’s motivation in sports. Self-esteem or self-worth is a significant need for all people and it emanates from feeling capable and in charge over your own behaviors in an area of achievement that is important to an individual (Saviano, 2001). Self-confidence is another critical factor in motivation and it is the same as perceived competence. Sports personalities who feel very competent and self-confident should be motivated to struggle harder in order to perform better in their respective field of professional. With self-esteem, if an individual lack confidence with his ability, he /she should elaborate extrinsic incentives for motivation. Psychology in sports also looks at group process or interpersonal that can influence one’s behavior, like the presents of spectators, leadership, and group membership where the event is held. Gender socialization and aggression also results from interpersonal social process. According to the research findings on the effects of audience on human performance or social facilitation, the findings suggest that the presence of other people in competition increases arousal for those participating, and this may help or ruin the performance of the competition. Researchers have also documented the “home advantage” which shows that teams playing at home sites win a greater percentage of the time as compared to the playing away sites (Paul, 2004). Group dynamics focuses on how an individual being a member of a group influences performance at the same time how psychological factors can influence group behavior. Mental skills are inner capabilities that assist sportsperson control his/her mind efficiently and consistently as he/she executes goals related to sports. Mental skills training provides the methods and techniques to not only develop skills such as concentration and positive body language, but also to foster personal characteristics such as self-esteem and positive competitive skills and behaviors (Paul, 2004). Mental skills techniques help sportsmen change their feelings, thoughts, actions, and physical sensations for them to improve in their respective fields. These techniques do this by helping the players develop self-confidence; deal with adversity; focus attention and concentration; set goals and form an optimistic long term vision; create on-court routines and improve error management. Mental skills training for sportsmen always take place in dynamic environment and it is influenced by the core values and beliefs of the players, coaches and parents. There are four major factors that influence mental skills training, these are, 1. Philosophy of coaching A strong coaching lies at the core of every value that a great coach has. It consists of principles and beliefs that guide actions and decision making in dealing with players (Paul, 2004 ). A philosophy is acquired from a compilation of experiences. Trainers should apply their philosophy of training within the context of 3 broad perspectives these are, training to help sportspersons develop socially, physically, and psychologically; training to win; and training to have fun. These 3 perspectives are unique and complex to every individual. In order to address these 3 areas properly, coaches integrate their experience with knowledge to bring out the best to their sportspersons. 2. Love of the game Research shows that sportspersons who develop a deep love for a sport and are not pushed into serious and heavy competitive environments too early have the proper basis to excel later in their careers (Paul, 2004). A sportsperson love of a game must be constantly nurtured within the mental coaching framework. 3. The role of the family Family is a very significant part of the support team for developing a sportsperson. In the current games, the task of the family members varies greatly from that of supportive spectators to that of an active on-court coach. The evidence is quite clear that for a young player to have a healthy approach to competition and training, a parent or significant individual must help create an environment that is both supportive and conducive to excellence (Loehr, 2001). Planning skills Having a plan and a vision can bring life to a sportspersons commitment and hard work. A plan is a basic psychological process in which an individual visualizes the future and develops a frame work that will guide the actions for the future to be achieved. There is an assumption that planning affects in some way the manner in which coaches interacts with the players. Regardless of the competitive level at which you coach, you need an instructional plan.  Without a plan you will not know where you are going and thus end up where you do not want to be (Loehr, 2001 ). The benefits of mental skills training include enhancing performance in the field. One way of ensuring consistent performance is by individualizing the mental training program to the sportspersons. This can be accomplished by evaluating a sportspersons mental skills set within a certain framework developed by Gould. According to him, the most vital areas that coaches should analyze and evaluate include: practice intensity, personal motivation, goal setting, error management, imaginary skills, concentration, competitive skills and others. This analysis of sportsperson mental skills set is difficult due to several variables that affect performance in the field. For example, (Loehr, 2001) states that it is important to note that emotional problems during match play can just as ready be caused by physical deficiencies as by emotional ones. Lack of physical recovery as a result of insufficient nutrition, rest, sleep, or hydration can absolutely derail sportsperson capability to summon the right emotions at the right time. Conclusion Each an every person has untapped source of energy that can be drawn upon to bring superior results. Enhancing motivation is essentially about change of attitude by developing a positive mindset and engaging oneself in systematic behaviors. If one is a leader in sport activity, he will have a considerable influence role on how to motivate his team. As a leader, you can instill a good ethic work, appreciate individual’s effort and instigate a reward that reinforces sportspersons sense of competence. The procedure of implementing mental skills training program requires an understanding of both yourself as a trainer and who your players are. This will provide the beginning point for both the sportsperson and the coach in pursuit to learn, develop, and strive for excellence. Gaining positive mental skills is significant for all sportspersons regardless of age or level of development. References Loehr, J. (2001). Player Development at the Core. High-Performance Coaching, Vol. 3 (No.1) 23-26. Paul, L. (2004). Sports Psychology: An Integrated Approach to Mental Skills Training. Sports science, vol. 6 (No.2), 8. Saviano, N. (2001). Progressive Development of a World-Class Player. High-Performance Coaching, Vol. 3, (No. 2), 14-16. Balisunset, K. (2002). Sport Psychology, Motivation and Performance. Hub pages, Vol. 2 (9), 12. Calmels, C, Fournier, J. F, & Soulard, A. (2003). Competitive strategies among elite female gymnasts: An exploration of the relative influence of psychological skills training and natural learning experiences. International Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, (No.1), 327-352. Read More

A recent research conducted in sports psychology reveals that individuals have different goals for achievement and to clearly understand what motivation is, we should understand how each person defines competence or success for himself or herself. The second important factor that influence motivation is what is referred by psychologist as perceptions of control. Peoples are motivated to be self-determining, this means that we should be in control of our own actions and behavior. Individuals with more internal perceptions of control are more motivated than individuals who feel others control them or that they are lucky (Saviano, 2001).

There are two psychological constructs that affect motivation, these are self-esteem and self-confidence. Self-esteem is individual’s perception of worthiness and emotional feelings related with that perception. Psychologist view self-esteem as the greatest centre core component of one’s identity, and hence it has the main influence on individual’s motivation in sports. Self-esteem or self-worth is a significant need for all people and it emanates from feeling capable and in charge over your own behaviors in an area of achievement that is important to an individual (Saviano, 2001).

Self-confidence is another critical factor in motivation and it is the same as perceived competence. Sports personalities who feel very competent and self-confident should be motivated to struggle harder in order to perform better in their respective field of professional. With self-esteem, if an individual lack confidence with his ability, he /she should elaborate extrinsic incentives for motivation. Psychology in sports also looks at group process or interpersonal that can influence one’s behavior, like the presents of spectators, leadership, and group membership where the event is held.

Gender socialization and aggression also results from interpersonal social process. According to the research findings on the effects of audience on human performance or social facilitation, the findings suggest that the presence of other people in competition increases arousal for those participating, and this may help or ruin the performance of the competition. Researchers have also documented the “home advantage” which shows that teams playing at home sites win a greater percentage of the time as compared to the playing away sites (Paul, 2004).

Group dynamics focuses on how an individual being a member of a group influences performance at the same time how psychological factors can influence group behavior. Mental skills are inner capabilities that assist sportsperson control his/her mind efficiently and consistently as he/she executes goals related to sports. Mental skills training provides the methods and techniques to not only develop skills such as concentration and positive body language, but also to foster personal characteristics such as self-esteem and positive competitive skills and behaviors (Paul, 2004).

Mental skills techniques help sportsmen change their feelings, thoughts, actions, and physical sensations for them to improve in their respective fields. These techniques do this by helping the players develop self-confidence; deal with adversity; focus attention and concentration; set goals and form an optimistic long term vision; create on-court routines and improve error management. Mental skills training for sportsmen always take place in dynamic environment and it is influenced by the core values and beliefs of the players, coaches and parents.

There are four major factors that influence mental skills training, these are, 1. Philosophy of coaching A strong coaching lies at the core of every value that a great coach has. It consists of principles and beliefs that guide actions and decision making in dealing with players (Paul, 2004 ). A philosophy is acquired from a compilation of experiences. Trainers should apply their philosophy of training within the context of 3 broad perspectives these are, training to help sportspersons develop socially, physically, and psychologically; training to win; and training to have fun.

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