Andre Botelho’s Soccer Coaching Blog

Sorry about last week. I didn’t write the issue for that week but, I promise I’ll make it up to you and deliver 3 issues over the next 7 days.

With that said, let’s get started. Today, I’ll write about how to motivate your players and some important universal rules that will guide you in the right path, almost automatically, if you follow and apply them…

Motivation is the energy, the desire, an overriding process or an inner state that propels or drives the individual to satisfy his own needs. A human being struggles to satisfy more than a few needs: from the basic, primary drives- connected to one’s need to go all-out – to behavioral, emotional and more cultural drives, directly connected to ones need for self-realization and fulfillment of one’s potential.

Each age group has its own needs and, consequently, it own distinctive motivations. From the age 6-11, the child usually tries to carry out various motivational aspects by means of playful motor activities. The little boy or girl is generally driven to action by motivations basically connected to his body in motion and motivations directly concerning his emotional satisfaction.

The following is a Need hierarchy according to the American psychologist A H Maslow:

Need for Self Actualization: Self-fulfillment, realization of potential __________ Esteem Needs: Achievement, prestige, status, self-esteem __________ Belongingness And Love Needs: Affiliation, love, acceptance, private life __________ Safety Needs: Freedom from threat, security, safety, protection __________ Cognitive Needs: Sex, activity, exploration, manipulation, curiosity, knowledge, understanding __________ Basic Psychological Needs: Food, water, air, temperature, maintenance, pain avoidance, rest

Specific motivations to sports activity in childhood:

Between the ages of 8 to 11, special motivations to sports activities in general are typically divided into two separate groups, which include primary motivations ( which originate from basic needs and are assumed to be common to all the members of a particular group) and secondary motivations (or acquired drive).

Primary motivations: play and competition. As far as the individual in the so-called growing age is concerned, primary motivation include motivation to playful activity and competition as well.

Play is an activity with no specific goals: it is a funny and an enjoyable reality, characterized by a playful idea, which is finally defined in its objective content and in the assignment of social roles. Undoubtedly, this is the most important experience in the life of every individual, since it is especially aimed at stimulating the motor, intellectual, and emotional development of the child. Every individual at any age considerably benefits from playful activity.

In his playful activity, a young soccer player combines both symbolic features (for instance, he imagines himself to be his favorite player) and elements which typically concern organized play with set rules. As a matter of fact, any playful sports activity during this particular age is a real game with rules, which requires the kid to comply with specific rules and exclusions included in the laws of the game.

Participation can be considered as the main motor activity in the life of a child. As a matter of fact, while playing the kids also learns to gradually know themselves, as well as the world and the people around him.

Secondary motivations: motivation to both association and self-actualization especially characterize this particular age group.

Motivation to affiliation is the need for companionship, association and cooperation, the need to be loved by other individuals, be part of a group and have one’s personal space and role in it. This stage is particularly evident starting from the age of 9 or 10 onwards.

The young players slowly learn to not play only for themselves, but to look for cooperation, support, and approval by other individuals of the same age. The phase from pure egocentrism (a self centered perspective) is the key in soccer whether projected both as a sports discipline or just a playful activity.

Motivation to self actualization or success – the need to fulfill one’s potential – directly combines with the personal drive to competition at this age, which was discussed above.

Too often, children who are unsure of themselves and fear confrontation and competition with other individuals tend to withdraw from any sports experience, since it is usually perceived as an anxiety causing episode. This usually happens because they feel a strong inner need to play well and be successful and this is the obvious result of the education they have received over the years.

The competitive nature of soccer is an important motivation since it allows the child to compete and measure his strength with other individuals of the same age. Through competition, he gradually learns how to survive confrontation and deal with both success and defeat.

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Yours in soccer,

Andre Botelho

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