One way I’ve found to keep my teams motivated is to take a step back from practice and let the athletes play a game. No matter what the age is, from the youngest to the old age, everyone loves to play from time to time in practice. The key is to let them play age-appropriate games. I have found that younger teams like to play simple games like “Duck, Duck, Goose”, while for older athletes this is not the case. One of the most popular games my teams have played is a game we call “Classes.” This game is where you divide the team into two different teams. Then explain the rules (you can really make up whatever you want). As a coach, we would only give them one task and whoever completed it first would get a point. All athletes found this to be a lot of fun and possibly their favorite game to practice, although it is a simple concept. These are just a few game ideas, however you can get your team to play whatever game you or they want.
Another way I’ve found to keep a team motivated is to set goals that must be met by a specific date. Something as simple as that will keep a team positive and allow them to keep in mind that they need to keep working. In the gym where I work, we have the athletes form a circle and hold a piece of tape that ties them all together as one. We then follow the line letting each athlete indicate their personal goal and the goal of their team. Once we have beaten everyone on the team, each athlete cuts a small piece of ribbon and ties it to their shoe. That way, they have a constant reminder of their goal and promise to the team.
Another great way to keep a team motivated is to get them out of the gym as a team. You can do something as simple as having a party at someone’s house. Many times my team had pasta parties or pizza parties at someone’s house. Each would contribute to the costs and then bring a dessert, drinks, sandwiches, appetizers, etc. This is always a fun way to get the team together outside of practice. It is very inexpensive and creates great memories. It also brings the team closer together because they are hanging out and having fun outside of practice.
An additional fun way to get the team out of the gym and motivate them is to go to a team building activity together. Team building activities can be almost anything; an excellent one is the obstacle courses. As a team, we went to an outdoor facility together (called Iron Oaks). There we did fun activities that kept us all thinking. In addition to making us think, he ensured that we all work together to achieve a goal. The way this keeps a team motivated is because it keeps a team working together to achieve a goal, just like a team needs to keep working together to drive competencies.
Another key tool to keep a team motivated is simple communication. Keep communicating with your athletes. Talk to them about the things that are happening in their lives, if they have problems outside of sports, then they will probably take the problems to the gym. This causes distractions, and everyone in cheerleading knows that it is very difficult to keep up with practice when you have other things on your mind.
Make sure you give your team the right tools to stay motivated. Make sure they have the right equipment to be successful, whether it’s the right kind of footwear or clothing for the right kind of mats or trampolines. This will help them to train hard and correctly. Athletes will not be able to advance in their skills if they do not have the right tools to keep working and moving forward.
The most important way to keep a team motivated is to lead by example. Be a good role model for your team, whether you are a coach, athlete, parent, or gym owner. Setting a good example will make the team look up to you and want to work as hard as you do. If you are a hard worker and positive about things, then your team will turn to you for guidance and will want to learn from you.