Books upon books and literature will emphasise such things as training, fitness, conditioning, skill just to name a few. What about Motivation? To say I’ve read a few books on Soccer would be an understatement. It’s fascinating that most books never mention Motivation or Desire. So what is Motivation? Motivation is the inner power or energy that pushes one towards performing a certain action. Motivation is strongly linked to desire and ambition and if you lack these, the chances are you lack Motivation.

Often coaches, players and even parents have the desire and ambition to get something done or attain a certain goal, but lack the drive, initiative and the willingness to take action. This is very common so don’t be alarmed, this shows a distinct lack of motivation and inner belief (drive).

Motivation strengthens the ambition, increases initiative and gives direction, courage, energy and the persistence to follow one’s dream. A motivated person takes action and does whatever it takes to succeed and accomplish their goals.

So now your wondering how do i get some of this motivation? Motivation is usually high when one has a vision. A vision that is a clear mental image of a certain situation or achievement. So what do you want out of soccer? Have you set yourself goals? Can you see into the future and predict where your soccer talents will take you. Whether your a player, coach or soccer parent, what are your goals? If you have not set yourself goals stop now and decide what you want out of the game?

In case it wasn’t clear above, Motivation is only present when there is a clear vision, a goal. Have you established your goals yet? Think about it, motivation is one of the most important keys to success. Compare a player who lacks motivation and who hardly trains, to a player who is highly motivated and who devotes many hours to training. Without a shadow of a doubt these 2 players will get different results.

Lack of motivation can be seen in a player from the peaks of the highest stadium. These players lack enthusiasm, zest, energy and usually drag their feet when they walk around. Players that are motivated are willing to do whatever it takes to reach their goals and devote many extra hours training and fine tuning their game. A motivated player is also happier, more energetic and usually stays behind at training to sharpen up on his weaknesses.

The rest of this post will be dedicated to the methods and techniques used to gain motivation. Before I start, these are only suggestions, what might work for me might not work for you. But the concepts and principles are the same for all of us. Lets start…….

• Lets begin with the most important, SET A GOAL! It doesn’t have to be one goal it could be many, but set goals. Set yourself a target and strive for it. Pull up your sleeves and get the elbow grease out and don’t stop.
• Once you set goals, make sure you finish your goals. You must come to grips that finishing what you started is very important. You must develop a drive, a hunger that will allow you to reach the finish line. Make a commitment to yourself that once you begin, you have to finish full stop, no excuses.
• Motivation and positive attitudes are contagious. Associate with motivated players that share your dream and passion.
• Read and study the game. This will keep your enthusiasm and ambition alive.
• Look at photos from the newspapers and magazines and imagine the articles are about you.
• Constantly tell yourself through positive affirmations that you will succeed and reach your full potential as a player or coach.
• Never procrastinate. Procrastination leads to laziness which then leads to a lack of motivation. Grit your teeth and get on with it.
• Persistence, patience and a “no-surrender” attitude will only strengthen your motivation. Don’t give up, throw some more fuel into the fire.
• When pursuing your goals and dreams, remember to do it with happiness and joy. After all the journey of life doesn’t stop because of your goals, enjoy it.

At the end of the day, the ability to meet your goals is not easy. No matter how big or small your goals are, you need motivation to get there.  Think about achieving your goals in the same way that you think about going to work or driving your car……….simple, easy, no questions asked. As someone said, “Just Do It”.