Do you remember why you wanted to try out and start roller derby? Are your reasons for playing still the same? Reasons tend to change quite drastically, in correlation with your development as a skater and team player. Knowing and understanding what your driving force in playing roller derby is key to understanding your motivation.
Channelling
my motivation correctly in roller derby has been a bittersweet challenge from
the start. It has gotten easier over the years and I'm happy to finally be able
to say that I think I'm starting to get the hang of it. The major contributing
factor has been all the feedback, comments and actions from my league
mates. Another was questioning myself and my motives; why
do I do this? I still ask myself that question all the time, thus I can keep my motivation
pure and in check.
The
foundation for your motivation lies in understanding it and recognizing its changes.
The more you are aware of it the better you will be able to manage any decreases and further increase your motivation.
Types of motivation
There are two
main categories of motivation in sports; internal or intrinsic, and external or
extrinsic.
Intrinsic is characterized by the pure interest, enjoyment and ability to participate
despite any unfavourable conditions.
E.g.:
you love to practice, you promptly want to know any rule
changes, you want to learn how your skates and gear operate, you are always trying to improve or develop your skating technique and strategic skills, you
are able to stay motivated even when you are facing hard times, you love
competing at any level and mostly with yourself.
Extrinsic is characterized by outside rewards and benefits such as recognition and prizes, self-imposed
guilt and anxiety, and the need for better rewards to keep up motivation.
E.g.: you
are training only to get on a team, you want to achieve
recognition or an award after a bout, you want praise within the league, you hope to gain attention for being a 'derby girl', you
only attend practice to avoid feeling guilty about yourself.
A third
form of motivation is known as amotivation. Which is characterized by the lack
of interest in the training process or outcome. Feelings of incompetence are
often present and there is also a disconnection between behaviour and
the desired outcome. Players who do not address amotivation promptly are likely
to drop out.
Did you recognize
yourself in any of the aforementioned examples? Fear not if you think you're categorized as a certain type of athlete. Motivational behaviour has a
tendency to change over time and it is possible to possess all types of motivation
at various times. Learn to develop and use different motivations to your
advantage. It is normal that your motivation will keep on changing from time to
time, taking the odd plunge every once in a while. But there are ways to
overcome that.
Here is a structural example and tips on how I learned to identify and deal with my motivation.
Measuring motivation
If you keep a training diary
make a mark or write about your motivation level after every practice and bout.
Keep a simple scale measurement i.e.
1-5, and shortly described what might have contributed to it. When you notice a
drop in your motivation level recognise what is causing it.
Causes in motivational changes
There are a number of different reasons to changes in motivation, anything can
be the cause. Such as not getting enough sleep, low fitness level, confidence
issues, health issues, poor diet, major life changes, not passing your minimum skills, not making the team
cut, major injuries, lack of time management, etc. There are as many reasons as
there are players. Once you have pinpointed the reasons behind it try to assess
if you have any control over the causes.
Addressing motivational changes
Once you have recognized the issues causing changes in your motivation, try to address
those issues accordingly if you want to maintain a good level in your motivation. Focus on situations that you can control. If there
are reasons beyond your control, either forget about them or give yourself permission and take time to
readjust where needed. The first and foremost issues which I have complete
control over is getting enough rest, eating well, cross training, and taking
care of my body. When it comes to motivation and playing roller derby those go
a long way.
Maintaining
motivation
Once you are aware of reasons behind motivational change think
about your short or long term goals and consider if they need readjusting. Tell
yourself where you want to be and what you want to achieve and in
what time frame. Then focus on the nitty-gritty at practice, not on your goal. Be always mindful
of where you want improvement and try to work on it when you can. Learn some self-discipline to get rid of any bad habits that conflict with your improvement. Never
compare yourself to other athletes, strive to be better tomorrow than what you
were yesterday. Let go of failures after
you’ve learned from them.
Increasing
motivation
The more you learn, the better you will skate, thus your motivation
will increase. Talk to your team mates, and coaches about your plans and ask for
feedback and any tips on how to become better. Focus on simple tasks and breakdowns
of techniques and skills which you are set out to learn. Tackle things that you
find difficult to master, and learn them with patience. Surround yourself with highly
motivated people as their energy will rub off on you. Learn to do things that
are way out of your comfort zone, you will eventually master them comfortably. Sometimes
we all need to take a day or two off to live life and it is
ok to do that. Taking a short break will most likely increase your motivation.
Motivation
is an ongoing roller coaster ride and at times it has made me ponder whether it is worth
all the ups and downs. I came
to the conclusion that every motivational low I have experienced over the years
has been worth it. No matter how bad I felt, getting back up from a low is a learning process, and it feels great once you have gone through it. Every time I feel that I become a
better person, skater and team player, and end up having much more fun.
Go be the best you can, and even better!!!
Adelle #3:33
