The Source of the Driver: Internal vs. External Motivation

The second motivation skill I want to highlight is what I call the source of the driver. In simple terms, who is driving the work? Athletes tend to fall into one of two categories: internal drivers or external drivers.

Internal motivation starts with the athlete. It is fueled by personal desire, autonomy, and ownership. The player chooses the standard. The player chooses the effort. The player decides what they want to become. Coaches still guide, teach, and develop, but the athlete stays in the driver’s seat. Another key part of internal motivation is clarity of purpose. When an athlete understands why they want to improve, it becomes easier to stay consistent when training gets hard or progress slows.

Noelle Pikus Pace is a great example of internal motivation. In the 2010 Olympics, she finished fourth and missed a medal by a tenth of a second. Many athletes would walk away after a moment like that. Instead, she returned and qualified again for the 2014 Sochi Olympics, where she won a silver medal. Pikus Pace described how her drive changed the second time. She did not chase the goal with pressure or bitterness. She pursued it with deeper ownership and more joy. She wanted to become her best self, and she wanted to do it with her husband and family alongside her, which made the journey more meaningful and the pursuit more rewarding.

Internal motivation matters because it lasts. Athletes who rely on internal drivers stay committed longer, respond better to setbacks, and remain steady through the ups and downs of a season. They do not need perfect conditions to work hard. They show up because the standard comes from within.

External motivation comes from outside the athlete, such as parents, coaches, mentors, or the approval of others. External drivers can be helpful in the short term. Encouragement can spark effort. Accountability can create structure. But external motivation has a limit. If the athlete never learns to take ownership, the drive often fades when the external pressure disappears.

Here is a simple exercise. Ask yourself: Who is driving me most right now? Is it me and my own desire to be great? Or is it my parents, my coaches, or fear of letting someone down? The goal is to move toward one clear answer: I am the driver.

This is Mental Strength.

For Players

Do:

1. Define your “why” in one sentence and reread it weekly.

2. Choose one improvement goal each week that you own fully, from plan to effort to execution.

Avoid:

1. Training only when someone is watching or pushing you.

2. Letting fear of disappointing others become your main fuel.

For Parents

Do:

1. Ask questions that build ownership: “What do you want to get better at this week?”

2. Praise effort and consistency more than outcomes so your athlete learns to drive themselves.

Avoid:

1. Using guilt, pressure, or comparison as motivation.

2. Making the sport feel like it belongs to you instead of your athlete.

For Coaches

Do:

1. Give athletes choices within structure so they learn autonomy and responsibility.

2. Reinforce internal standards by tying feedback to controllables: effort, decisions, habits.

Avoid:

1. Making motivation dependent on your voice alone.

2. Treating compliance as commitment. Compliance ends when you are not there.