Exploring Effective Motivating Factors for College Athletes

Abstract

Athletes spend their whole lives training to make it to the college level. However, many end up quitting before their senior year. This paper aims to understand motivational factors in college athletics to help curb this problem. Five separate factors were looked at: perceived ability, achievement, feedback, emotions, scholarships and their relation to motivation in sports. Research shows that higher perceived ability leads to better self-esteem and performance and task-oriented achievement gives athletes a better experience and leads to longer participation in their sport. Feedback, both positive and negative, can have a positive effect on players motivation and performance if it is not perceived as controlling. An athlete’s perception of whether a scholarship validates their skill level or controls their level of participation is a factor that impacts motivation. Finally, all types of emotions can be utilized to improve performance in athletics. However, if the emotions negatively impact the athlete’s actions, then performance is hindered. The final chapter of the paper lists major takeaways and some actionable recommendations that coaches, and athletic departments can implement in their programs.