A successful competitive performance
To have ability in a successful performance some would say in necessary, however it would also be believed to be the same when it comes to motivation. Both differ vastly but I do believe that both are needed and are also some of the main characteristics that top level performers of any sport/activity have inside them. The ability is closely linked with technique and skill as the three together can form a high standard of performance. In order to compete, or, perform an activity, we must firstly have the ability to do so.
Abilities are generally seen as innate, this is when you are born with them or they have developed in the early stages of life. They are also sometimes looked upon as building blocks or movement vocabulary and it is true that we will never be able to develop skill fully. There are many examples of ability required in many different areas of performing, in sport they range from: hand eye co-ordination, flexibility, speed etc. Without these abilities certain skills would not be performed to a high enough standard to compete successfully, i.
e. a serve in tennis. Without innate it has been said, you will never be great at performing. Motivation can influence our decisions, our learning and our performance. We would not be able to perform to our best level if we were in a negative psychological state of mind, some say mind over matter, but it has been proven in most activities this is not the case. Motivation is basically the drive to strive. Motivation can help people pull of the toughest of skills to a successful level and we can be motivated in many different ways.
These ways can be intrinsic or extrinsic. Intrinsic motivations are those that come from within the performer themselves. They are factors such as personal satisfaction or enjoyment. It ahs been suggested that performers who are in intrinsically motivated are more likely to continue participating than those who are not. Extrinsic motivators are factors from outside the performer. They give the individual an extrinsic reward such as money, trophies or recognition.
It has also been suggested that extrinsic motivation is of benefit at first and can drive individuals to work hard and participate initially, but in the long term extrinsic motivation is not enough on its own. There must also be elements of intrinsic motivation. An example of this can be often seen in sport i. e. football. If football players were solely motivated by money many of them would not play well after receiving their high wages. It can also be seen in boxers who do not train as hard once they have reached their goals and are set for life.
The need to be motivated and eager is often taken for granted. Whilst on my sports leadership course, in which I have been teaching 12/13 year old girls how to play football, I have seen both lack of ability and lack of motivation and vice versa. It is clear to me that one can be used when the other is not present. Many of the girls I have taught have lacked in technique skill and sometimes speed, all are specifications of ability. It has been possible to my understanding for these girls to still take part to a standard of play that is suitable for them to be an asset to their team.
Motivation wasn’t exactly top of the bill when I first took the class as many of the girls didn’t really like football, but I found its important to not do too much too fast and that positive feedback is essential. If they hear they have done something good it makes them want to achieve more from the lesson and with this their abilities can improve as they now have the desire to succeed. Motivation is the drive within them and with that drive they have the will to want to learn and want to be able to up the standard of play.
Motivation can also open new doors as they are more willing to listen and take in information, even some of the best performers need to listen to advice but many feel with them being so much better than others there is no need to up their game any more. I improved the girls movement ability by getting the girls into a circle and one girl in the middle. The girl in the middle had to get the ball of the others while the others on the outer circle passed it to each other. With the middle girl chasing down the passes I instructed it would be easier to pass round the middle girl if they spread out and moved into spaces.
I then took this practice into a game situation and the effect was quite dramatic. Motivation was improved when I gave rewards to the best groups, as they now had a desire to win, after a while the need for rewards was little as the girls were now enjoying the sport much more and were keen to excel. Simple practices like these can help an overall game. When I used to play tennis I started off not being able to control the ball at speed. Then I was taught to not hit the ball as hard as I could over the net but to pick a spot and aim for that spot. I practiced repeatedly hitting a ball against a wall.
I would aim for the same spot and every time I got it at that spot ten times I would move back 5 paces. This gave me better accuracy and hand/eye co-ordination when I went into a game situation. To choose which is more important in a successful performance out of ability and motivation is difficult of not impossible. Both are needed to achieve a high standard of performance but I don’t feel that one is of greater need than the other. Without motivation we wouldn’t have the drive to want to succeed and without the basic abilities we wouldn’t really have the motivation.
