“Excellence is the gradual result of always striving to do better,” Miami Heat President of Operations Pat Riley said. Many athletes believe that to work hard and strive to be great, they need motivation. Coaches not only teach their players and call the plays, but they also motivate their teams to work hard and thus, play to the best of their ability. Here are how some Heritage coaches motivate their teams.
Head coach of the varsity boys baseball team, Bruce Aven, has been coaching baseball for ten years. Coach Aven believes an essential part of coaching a winning program lies in the importance of speaking to the team’s personality when trying to motivate players.
“Each team has its own personality, so motivation is based on each team,” he said. “Some teams need lots of love, and other teams need to be challenged.”
During games when Coach Aven is speaking to his players, he always makes sure to tell the team, what they are doing right and what they can improve on. In order to keep the players motivated and wanting to play under their coaches, Coach Aven tries to have a good relationship with his athletes both on and off the field.
For the past six years, the varsity boys lacrosse team has been guided by head coach Chad Moore. Coach Moore believes he leads a successful program by, “pushing [his] players harder or at least trying to push my players harder than most coaches,” he said. “Not all players like to be pushed past their comfort zones, but most do and grow from it.”
Head varsity Lacrosse Coach Chad Moore smiles with his seniors after there last game against university school due to the Coronavirus. (Photo/Jack Shechtman)
Besides comments such as “dominate” or “this is our turf,” Coach Moore prepares his players during a game by going over game plans, schemes and scouts on opponents. While Coach Moore thinks all the things he does to pump up his team are important, “It’s more important to have players who are self-motivated and don’t need a coach to get them ready to play,” he said. “Self-motivated individuals are more successful in everything, not just sports.”
Head coach for the varsity tennis team, Toby Croke has been coaching for twenty years. “[I try to motivate my team] by reassuring our team members to support one another and be comfortable with playing their own game,” Coach Croke said. “I let our team members be free for themselves and play the game they are comfortable with.”
Coach Croke tries to get his players comfortable by making them feel confident and believe in themselves. “If you put in the hard work to be in shape and familiar with your craft, there shouldn’t be anything else to worry about,” he said.
In addition to feeling confident, Coach Croke also thinks it’s important to have a good relationship with his athletes if he is going to truly motivate them. He maintains a positive relationship with all his players and remains active in their life. “I am very interested that [my players] lead a positive lifestyle. I am also interested in their academic achievements,” he said.
While having talent is an important part of a sports team’s success, the way that coaches engage and motivate their players also has an impact on the team’s performance.
