2 weeks away from semi, girls need motivating.

My girls are 2 weeks away from the end of competition and they have made the semi finals. they are 13 and are C grade but they dont have that motivation and drive that is needed for a semi final match. i have been trying for a few weeks to get them pumped ready for the game but they just dont seem to get it or understand what a big deal it is and realise that all there hard work has payed off. i have been told by rep coaches that the reason they dont care is because they are 13 and C grade by i dont want to just give up on them. can anybody help or give me some tips that might help my girls.

thats kind of sad, as i have a team and they are the 12 C grade, and they are pumped as about going into their semis.  i wonder who has been filling their heads that C grade is not a big deal, and therefore not worthy of effort when you make it into the finals.  

not sure what the answer is, but maybe focus more on the fact that there are only a few games left and that its time you showed all the other teams in your club that C grade has got more guts and strength than any of those silly A grade teams.  its not about social or competitive standing, its about doing your best at all times, and never lying down thinking that where you start at is any less important than those at the top.  maybe try and relate it to something they are familar with.  no team or person became great overnight.  and i bet every win they had was somethign they were proud of.

good luck in the semis.  im just hoping my team is well enough to even play in their semis.  have had so many illnesses over the last few weeks.  

good luck.

Some of the girls in my U13s were hard to get motivated also, but i found something that they really wanted to make them want to win%3A

I told them all if they made the grandfinal, I would give them all a spray tan!! lol it actually worked, ive never seen them fight so hard the whole season.

you just have to find what that little trigger is to make them fight for the win. hth

I am in two minds about how to handle this. I coach U13's as well (2nd division) and I have a team that has half who are really motivated and the other - well, not LOL. I am a very competitive person but I worked out along the way this season that pressure to win was not working for them.

In a couple of close games where I was really trying to motivate them to win, they went to pieces when they could have won. I decided to change my approach and told them that finals were just extra games and I didn't want them to feel so pressured that their game suffered. I told them I wanted them to go out and play their absolute best and if they won it would be fantastic but if not, I was still very proud of them. We just scraped into 4th place by percentage, won our first final by 10 and then lost the prelim by 2 to a team who had beaten us very easily both times we met during the season. They really exceeded my expectations and I was rapt with their effort.

I hope that helps, it is a little bit different to how some would approach it but sometimes you need to try something different.

PS%3A I would also talk to them about being in C grade does not mean that they aren't good players and can't enjoy netball. I always tell my girls my story - I was not a great player as  a kid but I tried my best and practiced all the time. The main thing was that I loved it and as I got older it didn't matter that I wasn't in top grades. I tell them that funnily enough, I ended up being an A grade player as an early adult - I was just a late bloomer LOL.

 

I am currently coaching a team who are top of A grade and believe it or not they are not bothered whether they win or lose.  One of the parents in my team has had training in motivating staff through her work.  She suggested I ask all the girls to nominate one thing they need to improve in their game (important that they nominate the one thing), we told them there would be prizes given out for the two girls who we could see tried hardest to improve their one skill.  When you suddenly have a team full of girls all working on improving their game it lifts the whole team.  The girls played outstanding!!!

Have just finished a motivational course led by a leadership guru, he really challenged us when he stated that 'you cannot motivate anybody'.  There was a very 'robust' discussion that followed which I found very interesting.

Here's a summary.....

If people are de-motivated then that is the responsibilty of the Coach/Boss, and when we (as coaches/bosses) are able to uncouple that, people will naturally 'rise' to their natural place of being involved.

From that place...... when we Inspire them, they will take themselves to the next level of effort.

I know I will get a lot of 'robust' discussion around this and to that I say%3A  remember an occasion when you felt really motivated..... and then ask yourself what inspired you.....

Enjoy, I know I have

very cool Tony and very true!  we cannot MAKE anyone do or feel anything that they do not CHOOSE to do or feel.