Motivating your team starts before the season even begins. It starts by figuring out how you can create a team-focused, positive environment where the players will thrive. Setting expectations and goals for practice and games is part of that process, but remember just that, it is a process. Though I will touch on some game-day ideas to help motivate your team, truly motivating your team happens throughout the year.

Create A Positive Environment

Creating a positive environment starts with the way that you talk to your players. Be positive and encourage players while you coach them. When a player makes a mistake remind yourself that they are trying to do it right. Don’t get angry, figure out how you can do your job better and keep teaching them until they improve. Another good reminder to help you be positive and patient is, that even the best players make mistakes.

Spread positive energy wherever you can. Clean up the locker room if you have one and post inspirational quotes. Give your players journals and have them right down personal and team goals. Share inspiring stories or quotes before or after practice. Bring in motivational speakers. Use your imagination and find ways to encourage your team and create a positive environment.

Encourage Team Mentality

Teach your team the importance of treating one another with respect. Help the players understand what it means to be a team player. When a team cares about one another, they will work to motivate one another. By teaching the importance of teamwork you are helping to motivate your team.

Set Goals

Having something to strive for helps give a team motivation. And getting the players involved in the goal setting is even better. You can have a big reach goal; something grand, larger than life. But also have smaller more reachable goals that help keep your team on task. Goals that give the team small wins along the way.

Discipline and Hard work

Set expectations from the first day of practice that you expect your players to work hard everyday. This consistency will help to bring the team together, make practices run more smoothly and build togetherness. To be a great team you need to be disciplined and you need to work hard. Practicing with this mentality makes each player better as well, which in of itself is motivating.

Have Fun

Nothing is better than having fun, especially if you’ve been working hard everyday at practice. If you allow your players to always goof around then it’s hard to get anything done, but when a team is disciplined and hard working then it is even more important for them to have fun. Find time for fun along the way and your team will be better for it.

Game Day Motivation

When it comes game time, it’s what you have done during practices that will be the greatest motivating factor. Players who are prepared will feel more confident. There is no greater motivator than confidence. Still, there are a few things that you can do to reach players on gameday.

Preparation And Small-Win Goals

As a coach you motivate players by making sure that they are prepared. Much of this you will have done at practice but make sure to give them basic pregame info about the other team and then set reachable goals depending on your skill level. Goals such as out rebounding the opponent, holding your opponent from scoring a specific number of points, taking a certain amount of shots on goal. Try to find goals that are achievable no matter the outcome of the game.

Positive Energy And Team Rituals

It is great to include as part of your pregame gathering a story, antidote or quote that sets the mood. Often something inspiring that gets the team fired up, though there may be times you need to tell a funny story to get the players to relax. Spend time before the game to think about what your players need.

Keep your message positive and then encourage your players to huddle, separate from the coach, before they hit the court or playing field. If you work with the captains to start this from the beginning of the season they players will develop their own ritual, which can be the greatest motivator of all.