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Post by cqmiller on Jan 15, 2013 13:03:13 GMT -6
Athletics and Education require the following "naughty words" in our society:
1) Hard Work
2) Dedication
3) Failure
4) Accepting Failure
6) Learning (why did I fail)
7) Failing Again
8) Accepting Failure Again
9) Learning Again
10) Failing the 3rd time
...and so on.
How many kids (or adults) these days would have this outlook on things?
"I didn't fail 10,000 times... I just learned 10,000 ways not to make a lightbulb" - Thomas Edison when it was found out that he had tried more than 10,000 versions of the light-bulb before getting it to work.
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Post by jreinardy on Jan 15, 2013 13:09:48 GMT -6
What causes some student athletes to be unmotivated? Is it the basic fundamentals contained in Maslow's Hierarchy, lack of truly evaluating oneself, not having goals, not having a plan, socio-economic factors or just being spoiled?
Wow you can write and read mountains of books on this. I watch my sons basketball team play, (he is 11) and you can easily see kids who fall into that category. I think much of it has to do with the amount of success they perceive they are having....AKA Success= Fun...= motivation. I know it is not quite this easy but I do think this is a big factor. |
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Post by s73 on Jan 15, 2013 13:41:10 GMT -6
I believe it is never just one factor b/c every kid is different, hence different reasons for different kids.
However, I do think that "instant gratification" is a HUGE part of this. Nowadays, you don't have to wait fro information, food, communication, etc. So I think kids find it tempting to sit home and develop a mastery over a video game in a few short hours, rather than go to the weight room and bust their @sses for several months for a sport that is 3/4 of a year away.
In short, I think kids (and many adults for that matter) struggle with long term goals due to the ease with which things can be quickly acquired nowadays.
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Post by pirates2012 on Jan 15, 2013 15:21:45 GMT -6
What causes some student athletes to be unmotivated? Is it the basic fundamentals contained in Maslow's Hierarchy, lack of truly evaluating oneself, not having goals, not having a plan, socio-economic factors or just being spoiled? so many possible reasons... some kids are out for sports to be in the picture and try to live up/hype their HS experience and want to try to get a girl or do the social acceptable thing, etc... others are more complex. I'd say part of it is the hard work thing. A big part... but I also think that to a lesser degree perhaps, having clear expectations of what you're doing, what you're going to do and what you expect of them might even get a kid whose generally reserved and not that motivated to get going. Maybe. If you figure it out, let me know. |
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Post by bucksweepdotcom on Jan 15, 2013 16:00:18 GMT -6
I might be in the minority but I believe that kids are kids. A teacher once said to me that the "students don't change you change." I think that there is a lot of truth to that statement. I have been coaching for 19 years. I played four years of Varsity football, four years of college and right after college right into coaching high school football, I honestly think kids are pretty much the same as 1987 my first year of varsity football. I remember my coach talking about how tough the kids were in the 1970s and how the kids today were a bunch of pussys. Today I hear coaches talk about their high school teams from the 1980s and how tough they were. I am sure when my father played in the 1950s his coach use to say the kids of the 50s were a bunch of Marys compared to the players from the 30s.
I really feel that kids are kids for the most part. There has always been unmotivated kids. When I was a young coach at the school I am at we had a bear of a time turning around the program and culture. The program is at the point that the unmotivated player either gets onboard through his own willingness or positive peer pressure or he doesn't and that is ok. Our team does things today that the same type of kids from the same town 15 years ago would never do. It took a long time but the cuture changed and now the 9th graders coming into the program do not know the difference. We usually have great numbers coming into ninth grade and after that year they either want to commit to what we are doing or they don't.
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Post by s73 on Jan 15, 2013 17:52:01 GMT -6
I agree with bucksweep. I posted some of the reasons why kids might be unmotivated today above b/c that's what the post was about but I agree more with bucksweep than anythng.
Think about it. When we were playing (in my state anyway) we never had year round lifting (80's). Never had summer camp. Never had 7 on 7 competitions. We ask kids today to do more than we ever did in HS. Some do and some don't. But kids are kids, I agree. I think the reasons change why some are unmotivated, but the ratios of motivated v. unmotivated are probably the same in most eras.
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Post by dsqa on Jan 15, 2013 18:07:02 GMT -6
Great comments...certainly the predominant burden falls on the coach to find the "hot" buttons for your kids...sometimes it's not very evident and requires some interaction with the athlete to understand them...tall order even taller when the parents won't engage the process, but completely expect you to...much respect to coaches today.
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Post by John Knight on Jan 15, 2013 20:22:09 GMT -6
I would bet he is smoking the weed.
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Post by spos21ram on Jan 15, 2013 20:27:23 GMT -6
I would bet he is smoking the weed. Somehow we win games, but I feel our team is full of lazy players who don't want to put an ounce of work in and the majority of them aren't smoking weed. I know some are like on every high school team but the reason for laziness and lack of motivation is way beyond drug use. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using proboards |
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Post by Chris Clement on Jan 15, 2013 20:44:11 GMT -6
I've coached lots of motivated players who were recreational tokers. I doubt it's so simplistic. Maybe he just doesn't like football as much as some other kids. Or the risk/consequences of not working hard don't justify the effort in his mind.
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Post by jlenwood on Jan 16, 2013 8:14:46 GMT -6
Athletics and Education require the following "naughty words" in our society: 1) Hard Work 2) Dedication 3) Failure 4) Accepting Failure 6) Learning (why did I fail) 7) Failing Again 8) Accepting Failure Again 9) Learning Again 10) Failing the 3rd time ...and so on. How many kids (or adults) these days would have this outlook on things? "I didn't fail 10,000 times... I just learned 10,000 ways not to make a lightbulb" - Thomas Edison when it was found out that he had tried more than 10,000 versions of the light-bulb before getting it to work. Is this student/athlete intrinsically or extrinsically motivated. If he is intrinsically motivated he will probably do the things you say on his own. Extrinsic motivation requires a reward or push in the direction needed to go. Either way, wouldn't it be up to the coach to assess the athlete, identify how the unmotivated would potentially be motivated and then go about making it happen? There are so many reasons for the unmotivated athlete that it truly could consume your time trying to figure it all out. Some kids just don't want to be on the team. How many of us have had the kid that doesn't want to be there, but mom and dad made him play. You will almost never get thru to that player. So I think what each coach has to do is figure out first, does this kid TRULY want to be here, if he does not....well I guess you have to deal with that. But if he does want to be there, but just might not have the confidence in what he should be doing or how he fits in, that is on the coach to earn his money and find the kids motivator and make it happen for the kid. |
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Post by jgordon1 on Jan 16, 2013 8:39:22 GMT -6
I liked the quote from someone above..They are just teenagers...Some will , some won't, some can't and some are forced to play by their family..If anyone knew a good answer they would instantly become a millionaire...You just need to be consistent and be yourself..Each kid, in their own mind, whetehr you think so or not has a big problem
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Post by wingt74 on Jan 16, 2013 8:54:26 GMT -6
Harsh truth I learned early on. Very few kids will love football and be dedicated to the sport as much as I was.
I just have to accept that. It's not as important and "cool" to most kids as it was and is to me.
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Post by cqmiller on Jan 16, 2013 9:22:34 GMT -6
Harsh truth I learned early on. Very few kids will love football and be dedicated to the sport as much as I was. I just have to accept that. It's not as important and "cool" to most kids as it was and is to me. AMEN... What makes it tough is when parent expectations of the program are to have an A+ football program, but their kids (and 99% of the time, the parents themselves) put forth a D effort. As long as the expectations match the effort, I can live with D program... I won't be here if that is what they want the expectations to be, but it is exactly like this that I show with 2 weeks left in each semester to all my classes: |
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Post by calkayne on Jan 16, 2013 9:26:55 GMT -6
1) Hard Work 2) Dedication 3) Failure 4) Accepting Failure 6) Learning (why did I fail) 7) Failing Again 8) Accepting Failure Again 9) Learning Again 10) Failing the 3rd time ...and so on. Somewhere in there is the lesson about not taking opportunities for granted and what it means to take something for granted. Every generation has a new pallet of opportunities and availabilities, football though remains constant. Lastly, we need to keep things in perspective. We as coaches take football much more seriously than just about every player. |
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Post by spos21ram on Jan 16, 2013 23:24:59 GMT -6
Is this student/athlete intrinsically or extrinsically motivated. If he is intrinsically motivated he will probably do the things you say on his own. Extrinsic motivation requires a reward or push in the direction needed to go. Either way, wouldn't it be up to the coach to assess the athlete, identify how the unmotivated would potentially be motivated and then go about making it happen? There are so many reasons for the unmotivated athlete that it truly could consume your time trying to figure it all out. Some kids just don't want to be on the team. How many of us have had the kid that doesn't want to be there, but mom and dad made him play. You will almost never get thru to that player. So I think what each coach has to do is figure out first, does this kid TRULY want to be here, if he does not....well I guess you have to deal with that. But if he does want to be there, but just might not have the confidence in what he should be doing or how he fits in, that is on the coach to earn his money and find the kids motivator and make it happen for the kid. I understand lack of motivation for kids that really don't want to be there, aren't getting the playing time they hoped for, not knowing how they fit into the overall plan of the team etc, but I think many of us in this thread are talking about starters who are unmotivated. I know some of it is poor peer leadership and even our fault as coaches to an extent, but I find it mind boggling what little effort players will put in during the week of practice and just show up on Friday nights and expect to win every game. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using proboards |
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Post by spos21ram on Jan 16, 2013 23:27:12 GMT -6
Is this student/athlete intrinsically or extrinsically motivated. If he is intrinsically motivated he will probably do the things you say on his own. Extrinsic motivation requires a reward or push in the direction needed to go. Either way, wouldn't it be up to the coach to assess the athlete, identify how the unmotivated would potentially be motivated and then go about making it happen? There are so many reasons for the unmotivated athlete that it truly could consume your time trying to figure it all out. Some kids just don't want to be on the team. How many of us have had the kid that doesn't want to be there, but mom and dad made him play. You will almost never get thru to that player. So I think what each coach has to do is figure out first, does this kid TRULY want to be here, if he does not....well I guess you have to deal with that. But if he does want to be there, but just might not have the confidence in what he should be doing or how he fits in, that is on the coach to earn his money and find the kids motivator and make it happen for the kid. I understand lack of motivation for kids that really don't want to be there, aren't getting the playing time they hoped for, not knowing how they fit into the overall plan of the team etc, but I think many of us in this thread are talking about starters who are unmotivated. I know some of it is poor peer leadership and even our fault as coaches to an extent, but I find it mind boggling what little effort players will put in during the week of practice and just show up on Friday nights and expect to win every game. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using proboards |
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