Motivational Sports Ideas

If you are the coach of a team, then you want to find a way to inspire and motivate your players so that they reach the peak of their potential during game play. Think about the things that might have inspired and motivated you when you were a player and draw on those experiences to come up with ideas for your players.

  1. Go to a Sporting Event

    • One way to inspire and build team unity is to go to a sporting event with your team. For example, if you are coaching a youth basketball team, organize a field trip to a local professional or collegiate home game. Your players will get to see athletes at another level in action. They will see the determination and discipline those players have in order to play at such a competitive level. Make sure you arrive at the event early so players can watch practice before the game. They might even get a few autographs from the players.

    Guest Speaker

    • Find a former or current player who is willing to come speak at one of your practices. You can reach out to the public relations office of a local college or professional team and ask if one the players has time to speak. You can even offer to bring your team to the player to make it easier on his schedule. Then have some questions prepared such as what got him started in the sport, how many hours he practices and what challenges he had to overcome. As the players hear from the collegiate player or pro, they will be inspired by the dedication and hard work it takes to excel.

    Watch a Sports Movie

    • Create a team night where you have dinner at someone's house and watch an uplifting sports movie. Select a movie that coincides with the sport you are coaching. For example, basketball movie ideas might include "Coach Carter," "Hoosiers" or "The Pistol: Birth of a Legend." Football movies might include "Rudy," "Any Given Sunday" or "The Blindside." Baseball movie ideas might include "Field of Dreams," "The Natural" or "Pride of the Yankees." After watching the movie, you can discuss it as a team.

    Prize

    • Offer a prize for your team that they are trying to obtain. The prize can be something where everyone can let loose, such as a day at an amusement park or water park. The prize might be food-based, such as free ice cream or pizza if you reach a certain amount of wins. Or it might even be something you as the coach is willing to do, such as shave your head or wear a toga to the team party. Set the prize so that the goal is attainable. This will keep the players motivated and feeling good about themselves. If they attain one goal, set a prize for the next goal.