Ronald “Ron” Newman helps lead the Milestone Companies, a collection of corporations that he helped establish to develop and construct multi-family projects. An active member of his community in Washington, Ronald Newman spends some of his time outside of Milestone coaching little league football and basketball.
For many athletes, especially younger athletes, internal motivation is not enough, so it becomes your responsibility as the coach to keep your team motivated. This often starts with your own understanding of the game. Players, even young ones, can tell when their coach is unfamiliar with the sport, and it often decreases their belief that their team will succeed. If you do not know much about your team’s sport, make the effort to learn about it as you go and only teach the things that you do know. Doing this also makes it easier for you to show your team why their drills or practices are important. By understanding how their training will make them better, your team will be more motivated to continue working on themselves.
Motivation is not just about improving and winning, it is also about continuing past the losses. It is important that you discipline your team without being condescending. Athletes need a good mix of praise and discipline as they train. When you see a player doing something right, point it out and praise him or her. If a team member is doing something wrong, kindly tell the individual how to improve. When doing this, avoid making comparisons between athletes because it can kill motivation and create internal team hostility. Do not equate your team’s individual self-worth with their performance, either, as this can have a similar demotivating effect.
