The Role of Motivation in Enhancing Sports Performance Motivation is the force that makes us do things:

the internal state which tends to direct a persons behaviour towards a goal. (Kent, 1994) motivation has been seen as having two aspects: it is what drives id to do things and it makes us do particular things. (Woods, 1988) Motivation can influence decisions, learning and performance in sport. If a performer is not in a positive psychological state, mistakes will be made in the performance, and they will not perform at their best level. There are three types of motivation: * Intrinsic * Extrinsic * Self-Motivation

Intrinsic ========= This type of motivation comes directly from the performer. They are factors such as personal satisfaction or enjoyment. Biddell (1984) suggested that performers who are intrinsically motivate are more likely to continue participating then those who arent. This is because of personal ambition and the drive to have fun. An example of this could be an individual wishing to play squash as a form of recreation, to develop their fitness levels, but also to see if they can master the game.

Extrinsic --------This type of motivation comes from factors that are unrelated to the task they are performing. They are rewards that the performer may get for completing a task successfully. Some of these may include money or medals. An example of this could be a player who is offered a lot of money for playing for a football team, but the dont actually enjoy

player, rather than playing because of passion for the game.

Self-motivation --------------This is almost the same as intrinsic motivation. Cratty (1989) suggested that there are a number of factors that motivate us to take part in sport, which include a desire to achieve a sense of mastery, a wish for status, friendship, the challenge which the face, or simply the excitement of taking part. Bidell (1984) suggests that this is the most important type of motivation if we are to continue with a sport. [IMAGE] Motivation differs from person to person and is unique, the two most common types of motivation are intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation is innate, therefore an individual's interest is directed at certain activities and not at others. This may explain why participants have a sport in which they excel at. Athletes perform at their best, when they are intrinsically motivated. This shows, that the more motivated an athlete is the more work they are likely to achieve. Extrinsic motivation is more common within sports, factors such as peer pressure and the offer of rewards is often more motivating that intrinsic factors. Both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation can help to explain why people are so different. It is not only the interests of that participant, which can influence what sports they are more motivated towards but also the influence of their coach, family and possibly of the club or country they represent. Motivation can have major effects on how an individual carries out a certain task and how much effort is put in to it. Motivational basis of achievement can be quite varied, as there are some individuals that although are highly motivated may not be very successful. In this case encouragement must be given so that the drive to succeed is not lost. Participants who are motivated, are more likely to want to do their best, not only in the competitions, but also in the training. More factors which can effect a players motivation are: * Arousal * Achievement motivation * Attribution Theory

Arousal This is the energised state of readiness of an individual to perform a task, motivating them to direct their behaviour in a particular manner. It can affect the performer positively or negatively, both physiologically and psychologically, depending on the individual's perception of the situation, but can be controlled to produce an effective performance. The level of arousal is controlled by the reticular activating system, which interprets the level of stimulation entering the body and initiates an appropriate response. The primary aim of the performer is to maintain their arousal at an optimum level suitable for the activity undertaken so that the performers concentration and decision-making are not weakened. Achievement Motivation This refers to an individual's interaction with the environment and their desire to succeed. This is a combination of personality and situational factors. People display either a need to achieve or need to avoid failure tendency when placed in certain situations. Attribution Theory This theory suggests that the reasons perceived by an individual or term for the outcome of their actions can affect their levels of motivation in future performances. Attributions help to explain success and failure, ensuring motivation levels remain high. Weiner proposed five categories of attribution: ability, effort, task, difficulty and luck. Generally to gain feelings of satisfaction, success is attributed to internal factors and failure to external factors. There are four other types of motivation, positive and negative, and primary and secondary motivation: Positive and negative motivation - Positive motivation makes us want to continue an activity; negative motivation will decrease our enthusiasm for it. Primary and secondary motivation - Primary motivation comes from the activity itself; something or somebody else, e.g. encouragement from the coach, provides secondary motivation. The internal mechanisms and external stimuli, which arouse and direct our behaviour (Sage 1974) this is what Sage said about motivation. Some information about motivation is below: * Most major sports have extrinsic awards at all levels. * High levels of intrinsic motivation are shown when a sport is being

played for the 1st time. * In certain conditions, extrinsic motivation can decrease Intrinsic motivation, therefore, sometimes use of extrinsic rewards should be discouraged. * Some extrinsic rewards represent a high level of ability, and so can increase intrinsic motivation. * Motivators are the reasons why participants think and behave as they do. * Motivation has five components: Direction, intensity, persistence, continuity and performance. * Early theories focused on the notion of 'drive' current theories are based on social perception and goal orientated. To improve motivation the individual must be encouraged, the importance of the sport must be made clear and the benefits of the success that will win. Families must also play an important part as they prove to be the most influential parties. Coaches must also be seen to be motivational for the participants. Motivation and motivation levels are unique to every individual. Clubs must nurture the motivation of its athletes in order to help to maintain its participants motivational levels. In conclusion, I think that motivation does help in enhancing a sports performance, no matter what sport. However, the most important motivation is self-motivation, and not extrinsic motivation. This can be shown through peoples love for the sport and the fact that although they like to win, it is the participation that counts.

Psychological Benefits of Exercise

We often hear about the physical benefits of exercise (e.g., increasing heart health), less often are the psychological benefits promoted. Yet, engaging in a moderate amount of physical activity will result in improved mood and emotional states. Exercise can promote psychological well-being as well as improve quality of life.

The following are common psychological benefits gained through exercise.

Improved mood Reduced stress as well as an improved ability to cope with stress Improved self-esteem Pride in physical accomplishments Increased satisfaction with oneself Improved body image Increased feelings of energy Improved in confidence in your physical abilities Decreased symptoms associated with depression

As people experience these psychological benefits, it is likely that they also will be motivated to continue exercises so that they continue to receive these benefits.

How much exercise is needed to produce those effects?

Even a brief walk at low intensity can improve mood and increase energy. As little as 10 minutes of aerobic exercise can have a positive effect. For long-term benefits, you should exercise 3 times a week for 30 minutes per session at a moderate intensity. Programs longer than 10 weeks work best for reducing symptoms of depression