Motivation

You are four games into the new season and it’s time for you and your assistant coaches, Allison Long and Joe Ames, to review how your new players are doing. You have asked them to stay after practice and set a time for a meeting. They and you have agreed to meet after the following practice.

Coach: Thanks for your time for this meeting. Well, we had four new players this year. Harry Garcia and his family have moved to Cleveland so we’re left with Lester Seaton, Ollie Lindstrom, and Larry Nelson. Can we take them in that order?

Allison: Sure, let me start with Lester and Ollie. I met with them at the start of the season and we talked about the Wolf and the Pack. They both did okay with that idea. I stayed in contact with Lester because he came to us from a “My Way or The Highway” kind of coach and he didn’t do well there. He needs to have us listen to him..

Joe: And he sure gave you a chance right away.

Allison: Yes. Lester is very proud that he was awarded the trophy last year for the highest batting average in the league. He seems to be motivated to win accolades. In the first preseason practice game, we put him at second in the batting order and he asked me why he wasn’t batting leadoff - and he just kind of waited to see what I’d do or say. So, I explained that he is a good bunter and he can get on base with a bunt or move a runner up with a sacrifice bunt so we would like to have him at bat with someone on base. He also bats lefty and we can use him in a hit-and-run situation. He just nodded and said, “Okay.” A while back, he told me that he appreciates the time I spend talking with him and listening to him.

Joe: I thought we did a great job with the team accepting Ollie as a member of the pack. I belong to a church that has a “garage sale” every summer and they let me have some good, almost new softball shoes and batting gear, and I gave it to him. He's a great addition to our team - made a lot of friends. I ask our players how they are doing a lot and he always smiles and says, “Okay”.

Coach: Larry Nelson is the most interesting player I have ever had. He knows that he isn’t a good enough player to be a starter and he’s happy with any time he gets to play. He wants to be a sports writer or TV sports commentator. He always sits next to me, or one of you, on the bench and watches and listens to what we do and say. He really has studied the rule book. His Mom told me that he’s determined to become the sports editor of the school paper next year.

Joe: I think we have done a good job so far with our new guys.

Allison: We obviously believe in intrinsic motivation.

Coach and Joe: What’s that?

Allison: Well, there’s Intrinsic Motivation and Extrinsic Motivation.

Coach and Joe: Okay, what’s that? Yeah, tell us more.

Allison: Intrinsic motivation involves doing something because it is personally rewarding to you.

My positive school kids - my fifth grade students - love math and do extra work, such as reading about the Greek mathematicians.

Kids come to our ball team intrinsically motivated - ready and eager to play. The motivation comes from them and we can simply promote that.

Larry wants to become a sports announcer and we’re helping him reach his goal. Ollie has found a “home” with us.

Then, there are two kinds of Extrinsic Motivation.

Extrinsic Motivation #1 involves doing something because you want to earn a reward.

All of my school kids are working hard so that they will get to sixth grade. Passing is their reward for their efforts.

Lester got a reward that he had been working hard to get - a trophy and recognition.

Extrinsic Motivation#2 involves doing something because you want to avoid a punishment.

My less than good school kids are afraid of flunking so they are now more serious about learning their math.

Lester’s coach told him that if he didn’t do what he was told to do, he would suffer a punishment - sit on the bench, lose his starting position, whatever would make Lester sorry for his action or inaction.

There's a lot of “game playing” with Extrinsic Motivation. We don’t use it because it doesn’t belong in our belief system.

Coach: Thanks for the information - I even took notes on what you were saying.

Joe: Same here except for the note taking - I want to talk to you some more about this some time.

Coach: Time to go home.

Nods, Hive Fives, and Goodbyes.