3 good reasons to assess the motivation of athletes

Interviews, self-assessment questionnaires, collection of perceptions from the entourage: there are different methods for evaluating the strength and nature of the motivations of a high-level sportsperson. Beyond the question of means, there is the question of ends. Assessing motivation, yes, but for what? There are at least three good reasons for evaluating the motivations of top-level athletes.

1 - BETTER RECRUITING

Motivation is an essential element of sports performance. It is the fuel that drives the high performance athlete. It is therefore necessary for recruiters to assess the level of motivation of an athlete before recruiting him or her. And some have understood this. A professional volleyball coach told me: "There is a player who was my first choice in terms of sport, but I was not his. And I said to myself: I prefer to have my second choice, who is very enthusiastic, who believes in our sports project, than the one who will give half-heartedly, even if he is intrinsically better.

2 - SUPPORTING ATHLETES IN THEIR CAREER CHOICES

Supporting the athlete in his or her career choices implies not only assessing the athlete's level of motivation, but above all identifying the sources of motivation. Is the athlete mainly motivated by a passion for his or her sport? By the recognition of his family and friends? By the desire to be the first? By the recognition of the general public? Depending on what motivates him or her, an athlete may, for example, accept more or less easily a place as a substitute in a team. He may or may not be able to do without the presence of his family and friends for long. It may be in his interest to stop his career at the top or to continue it serenely at lower levels.

3- HELP THE ATHLETE TO REGULATE HIS/HER LEVEL OF MOTIVATION

Motivation that is structurally too low or, on the contrary, structurally too high can have a negative impact on sports performance.

The risk of being 200% motivated is in particular the risk of overtraining, and potentially of injuring oneself. It is also the risk of over-investing in one part of one's life, to the detriment of the others, and therefore of weakening one's personal balance.

On the other hand, the risk of being 50% motivated is of course that of not giving oneself all the chances to succeed. In this case, understanding and acting on what deeply limits the athlete's motivation will be essential to his or her long-term success.

Recruitment, career choice, performance support: these are all contexts in which the evaluation of the structural motivations of high-level athletes makes sense.