Motivation is something we are all aware of. Some have more; some have less , and those who benefit from motivation know it can come in different forms.

The two most common forms are extrinsic motivation and intrinsic motivation. There is a third factor some might not be aware of called amotivation.

Sport Psychologist and professor Robin Vealey explains in her book Coaching for the Inner Edge, that there is nothing more important than motivation. Even for ultra-talented athletes who find success naturally early in their athletic careers, without motivation, long-term success will be limited.

By definition, motivation is a set of internal and external forces that causes an individual to act a certain way. The bheaviors most often associated with motivation are choice, effort, and persistence.

A choice is an act such as participating in strength training or putting in additional practice time with the goal of being the best on a given team or winning a tournament.

Effort refers to the intensity at which the athlete works toward that goal, and persistence is the commitment to continue forward toward the goal despite setbacks and adversity.