Explain the role of motivation in enhancing a sports performance.

Explain the role of motivation in enhancing a sports performance.
‘Steffi Graf and Martina Navratilova are so evenly matched, in terms of racket skills and athleticism, that the Wimbledon women’s singles final will probably be decided by their emotional response to the situation.’
The Times 1988
Motivation is ‘the drive to strive.’ And can be described as, ‘the ‘internal state which tends to direct a persons behaviour towards a goal.’ Motivation is inextricably linked with sport at every level, from grass roots to elite and is vital to both athletes and coaches. It is important to understand the role of motivation in enhancing sports performances concerning all levels of athlete, from beginners to professionals.
Motivational factors can be intrinsic or extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation comes from inside the performer, and is also called self-motivation. This is the internal drive to succeed; it is the aspiration to accomplish goals for their own personal satisfaction, sense of achievement and challenge. An example of this is Jonathan Edwards, who competed in the Manchester Commonwealth games for the personal achievement that winning a gold medal would bring, this medal would complete the challenge he set himself to win a gold at every major competition. Intrinsic motivation is very important in enhancing a sports performance, without self-drive and an ongoing desire to win, an athlete will find it hard to succeed. This is evident when considering the England footballer David Beckham; he is paid £100,000 a week to play for Manchester United. If financial rewards were his sole interest, he would feel no need to train every morning, the financial rewards are no longer relevant to him. His drive comes from his self-motivation and his desire to achieve.
