How to Motivate a High School Girls' Lacrosse Team

The great boxing champion, Muhammad Ali said, “To be a great champion, you must believe you are the best. If you’re not, pretend you are.” Motivating everyone on a high school girls' lacrosse team into believing that they, too, can be champions, or at least act as if they are, is a major part of the coach's job.

Instructions

    • 1

      Realize that motivation must be internalized for it to make a difference. Any effort you make will ultimately be in vain unless the individual girl captures for herself the understanding of what it means to be a winner, a champion. You can't do it for her.

    • 2

      Know your players individually and what motivates each one. For one it might by the thrill of competition, for another it might be the fear of disappointing her parents. For someone else, it might be the necessity for a college scholarship. Spend a quiet moment with each player during the week to bolster the private, inner compulsion that can take her to new heights of effort.

    • 3

      Motivate the group as a team by showing what a team can accomplish. Sports movies based on true stories such as "Hoosiers," "Miracle on Ice" and "Rudy" show the results of teams bonding for a common goal of winning.

    • 4

      Provide role models that show in action and deed what the efforts require and what the rewards are. For example, in the locker room immediately before each game, have the players recite the names of starters for the Northwestern girls lacrosse team which won the NCAA 2011 title game for the sixth time in seven years. Tell the players that these girls are winners, and the Northwestern team would expect nothing less from your team than the same effort and excellence they put into the game.

    • 5

      Consult and create with the team and individual players goals towards which they're working. For the team, divisional champs may be the dream. A sophomore may want to be a starter next year and a senior wants to hold the all-time record for goals for the team. Provide constant feedback and encouragement towards the goals.

    • 6

      Cut loose or tune out the de-motivator. This is difficult for both the coach and the players. It may be a boyfriend who doesn't want "his girl" to spend so much time at practice, or a school culture that devalues the work of the team. For the coach, it may be a team member who is dragging the team down and should be let go to help morale. The sooner the de-motivator is gone, the faster and higher the individuals and team can rise.