WHEN the 2014 sports calendar came to a close, a good number of athletes had accounted for themselves well on the international scene and stakes are higher this time around.
However, despite their efforts to fly the country’s flag higher, motivation seemed to be lacking on the part of sponsors and major stakeholders.
The deficiency in motivation undoubtedly had a negative impact on results as athletes performed badly when they shouldn’t have.
Therefore as we challenge for honours this year, it is important to prioritise the single magic word ‘motivation’ of our athletes because talent alone cannot bring us medals.
Motivation is one of the most important aspects of success in sports as it defines and shapes the destiny of our athletes.
It is no longer true that champions are born and not bred because it has been conclusively proved that it is the motivation to excel on the big stage, which separates champions from others.
If one can remember the story of a ‘Kalulu’ and the tortoise in a race, whatever distance it was but the latter was able to emerge victorious on account if its motivation to do consistently well.
Same applies to our sports personalities, no matter how good the opponent may be, motivation will certainly earn us the success that we desperately need.
But for motivation to come, one must have passion for their sports discipline wholeheartedly because it is impossible to get motivated to do something unless one likes it.
One’s motivation will naturally spell out that the sport they engage in is an easy one and that it can be played well.
Motivation is simply defined as the ability to initiate and persist at a task. For one to perform at their best, they must begin the process of developing as an athlete and they must be willing to maintain their efforts until they have achieved their goals.
Motivation in sports is so important in that athletes become willing to work hard in the face of fatigue, boredom, pain, and the desire to do other things. It impacts everything that influences their performance: physical conditioning, technical and tactical training and mental preparation.
To delve into the motivation aspect of our success in sports, I thought I should share two points I considered cardinal from Psychologist Jim Taylor, author of the ‘Cluttered mind uncluttered.’
The Grind
According to Taylor, in training and competitions, one arrives at a point at which it is no longer fun. He called this the Grind, which starts when it gets tiring, painful, and tedious. The Grind is also the point at which it really counts. The Grind is what separates successful athletes from those who don’t achieve their goals. When many athletes reach this point, they either ease up or give up because it’s just too hard. But truly motivated athletes reach the ‘grind’ and keep on going.
Many sport psychologists will say that one has to love the ‘grind’.
But Taylor believes that except for a very few hyper-motivated athletes, love isn’t in the cards because there’s not much to love. But how an athlete responds to the ‘grind’ lies along a range.
The ‘grind’ may not be very enjoyable, but what feels good is seeing an athlete’s hard work pay off with success.
Effort = Goals
There is often a big gap between the goals athletes have and the effort they are putting into those goals. It’s easy to say that you want to be a successful athlete. It is much more difficult to actually make it happen.
If an athlete has this kind of disconnection, then they have two choices. They can either lower goals to match their effort or they can raise their effort to match their goals.
But if an athlete is truly motivated to be successful, he or she should make sure to do the necessary work to achieve the goals.
Taylor listed down some signs of ‘Low Motivation’ that culminate in our athletes’ poor performance.
A lack of desire to practice as much as needed.
Less than 100 per cent effort in training.
Skipping or shortening training.
Effort that is inconsistent with your goals.
In all our sports associations, there should be some form of award systems aimed at promoting the skills development in the players.
The awards should embody a vital principle that the primary focus of the players should be on skill development and winning.
More players will be better motivated if they are orientated towards improving their skills as a way to attaining success.
For instance, Badminton Zambia (BZ) life member Nagalingam
Sothylingham honoured Kalombo Mulenga for his outstanding performance at the under-15 Africa Badminton championships that saw the Zambian crowned continental King in the juniors’ category.
Sothylingham donated K1, 000 to the teenager for his achievement.
Clearly, such an effort can motivate the athlete to perform better and won’t be so shocking if Mulenga defends the title this year.
The coaches’ role in motivating players is vital. The coach can ensure success for the players by encouraging them to take the awards only when they are good enough to pass.
The aim for this aspect should  see  players’ motivation through success and    coaches        should take responsibility for determining the readiness of the players to be able to pass.
Additionally, athletes must also have motivation to develop a positive attitude to play well in the toughest and unimaginable games with a focus of winning.
The champions even surprise themselves when doing so.
Obviously, having a positive attitude alone is not sufficient if an athlete has the fear of getting defeated.
It is always important to develop motivation to eliminate fear of failure and it is essential for the athlete to understand that playing a particular sport is not a war and failing in a game is not a crime. Failure is part of the game.
As most athletes begin to aspire for honours in the 2015 sporting calendar, motivation of players should be taken into account. Once this is done, Zambians will excel.
Send your comments to moseschimfwembe@gmail.com