Rethinking Athlete Motivation

Motivation is the foundation of sports performance and achievement. Without it, even the most talented athlete is unlikely to reach their full potential. It’s pertinent to how athletes experience and respond to their sport. It’s the secret sauce that fuels success. It’s the why good coaches ask their athletes to define.

In Applied Sport Psychology, Personal Growth to Peak Performance (McGraw Hill, 2021), authors Jean Williams and Vikki Krane suggest that “motivation is also one of the most misunderstood psychological constructs among sports participants and practitioners.” So, what is it, exactly?

Some believe that whether an athlete is high or low in motivation is somehow inherent to their personality—that it’s an unchangeable characteristic you’re either born with or without. Others believe that coaches “motivate” athletes with pep talks, enthusiasm, or techniques used in practice to foster their athletes’ focus and intensity. While there might be some truth and evidence to each of these tactics, the short answer is that “it depends” on the athletes’ psychological tendencies and the social environment they develop, train, and compete within.

“Motivation is ever-changing,” says Hannah Allgood, a professional trail runner for Dynafit and running coach based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. “We think it’s this stagnant place, but it constantly shifts based on where you are in your life or in your career.”

For Allgood, motivation is intricately tied to understanding the underlying reasons for one’s actions.

“For me, motivation is the why behind what I’m doing. In order to figure out what your why is, you’ve got to dig down deep, three or four times.”

RELATED: Want to Get Better at Running? Be Ruthless About the Fundamentals

The Importance of Values

This notion of “digging down deep” resonates beyond the realm of sports and into our personal lives. The process begins by honing in on our core values, an exercise akin to asking “Why?” with the relentless curiosity of a 5-year-old wondering why the sky is blue, broccoli is green, or dogs don’t live forever. This exercise can remind us that while some questions may not have straightforward answers, the exploration itself can lead to valuable insights and a better understanding of why we choose to do what we do.

“The biggest change in my career happened when I found who my authentic self is,” Allgood says. “Before, I signed up for events I wasn’t excited to race. I just knew that everyone else was racing, so I thought I should be there, too. That led to putting unrealistic expectations on myself. Now, I choose races that are exciting to me instead of looking for external reasons to show up at a start line.”

Techniques like values clarification can help athletes decide what is most important to who they are, not who others believe they should be or what they should do.

Missoula-based run coach Forrest Boughner says this can go either way as both a runner and coach.

“As an athlete, not every workout is going to be a winner. Knowing my values and my ‘why,’ helps me get through the daily grind,” he says. “Those are the days I can remind myself why I’m out there. Being able to say, ‘I’m struggling through this 10-miler in the wind and sleet because I value accountability and I told my coach I’d do it,’ makes it easier than just thinking about how cold every rain pellet is. Values give purpose to that daily grind.

“Knowing why one of my athletes wants to sign up for a certain race not only helps me frame how I discuss training and the event with them but also helps us navigate event selection,” he adds. “If an athlete values competition but only signs up for small local races, we can redirect to make sure their actions align with their values.”

Motivation Theory

Motivation theory looks at concepts like goal-setting, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, self-efficacy, and attribution, aiming to explain why athletes engage in sports, how they maintain their motivation, and what influences their performance outcomes.

Ultimately, it provides insights into the unique psychological processes that underlie athletes’ behaviors, helping coaches and support teams optimize training strategies and create supportive environments conducive to athletic growth and success.

“A lot of times athletes see Strava or social media as a reason to be motivated, but that can be detrimental because it’s rooted in external validation,” San Diego-based running coach Jessica Schnier says. “While external motivation can be helpful in some situations, it needs to be rooted in something deeper, something intrinsic, and it should always underlie an athlete’s core values.”

Understanding Motivation Theory can be a powerful tool for endurance runners aiming to achieve new PRs. It’s not just about winning races or setting FKTs—Motivation Theory helps runners tap into their intrinsic drive by culling down their core values. By focusing on three to five internal motivators instead of external validation, athletes can stay committed and push through months-long training blocks, hard workouts, and longer races. This mindset shift often leads to improved performance and overall satisfaction, highlighting the fact that running is often about more than just winning.

Quantity vs. Quality

It’s important to consider how much motivation (quantity) an individual has and how effective (quality) it is. Typically, the quantity of motivation is referred to as extrinsic motivation, and external rewards like brand sponsorships, a Western States 100 Golden Ticket, or even Strava Kudos or social media followers drive it. The opposite of extrinsic motivation is intrinsic motivation, defined as the internal desire and enjoyment an athlete experiences.

Intrinsically motivated athletes are driven by factors like enjoyment, mastery and skill development, personal growth and self-expression, and the challenge of overcoming obstacles. They have a genuine passion for the sport and are likely to persist (and succeed) in their efforts, even when faced with setbacks or difficulties.

However, despite an athlete’s passion and drive, the allure of social validation on platforms like Strava or Instagram can pose potential setbacks. If athletes seek affirmation through likes and followers, the line between intrinsic (quality) and extrinsic (quantity) motivation starts to blur.

As athletes navigate this area, it’s important to find a balance between drawing inspiration from others and maintaining a focus on personal growth and values. They should also meet themselves where they’re at—not where they want to be or where someone else seems to be in a highlight reel. Some people call this motivation. Others call it discipline.

Motivation vs Discipline

Like the timeless question of what came first, the chicken or the egg, the relationship between motivation and discipline in achieving goals is equally complex and hotly debated. Are we motivated because we are disciplined, or are we disciplined because we are motivated? The long answer is: It’s complicated. The short answer is activation.

“Once you start activation, mood follows,” says Neal Palles, a Colorado-based psychotherapist and sports performance consultant. “Finding motivation is sometimes as simple as just taking action. Maybe there’s discipline in taking that first step into uncertainty, but maybe there’s curiosity, too. And curiosity can be highly motivating.”

As Allgood mentioned, digging down deep “three or four times” is where you find the secret sauce. Palles agrees.

“Ask yourself what’s underlying all of this. And then dig further into it. Find your values, then dig deeper. What is it about them? Why is that important to you? Why is it motivating? You have to look at what it is about the values you’re buying into before you find it,” Palles explains.

Trail runners often face rugged terrain, unpredictable weather, and long distances, making motivation crucial to their success. By applying Motivation Theory to training, athletes can tap into their core values as they take on new challenges, connect with nature, and explore their limits.

“If you find your core values and look at them—really look at them—you’ll see that they’re all connected,” Palles says. The magic happens when we can answer the question of why—not just when we’re signing up for a race, but when we’re halfway through the event and want to quit. That way, we always know what our purpose for being out there is. And that’s what keeps us moving forward.”