The following situation came from a coach, but it could have easily been a parent. I was asked if there's anything that could be done about a 14-year-old athlete who is loaded with natural talent but has lost his motivation.
"The desire to work and improve seems to be missing." said this coach.
While this is frustrating for a coach or a parent who takes a personal interest in an athlete, the short answer is "love him where he's at."
Despite the urge to become a protector of this athlete's career, you cannot give someone a "want to" if they don't have one of their own. You can create opportunities, provide an inspiring environment, and tell uplifting stories, but a "want to" comes from the inside, not the outside.
There's usually a story behind the story when dealing with an athlete who has lost his motivation. It may stem from a relationship issue at home, strife with a coach, or other pressing priorities.
In this particular scenario, life for the young man has been easy, thanks to family wealth. With unlimited resources and loads of athletic talent, he has not felt challenged. And challenges provide the motivation we all need.
"The pursuit of an unmet need" is a great working definition of motivation. And you can be certain that this young athlete has an unmet need somewhere. It's just harder to identify because life has been so comfortable.
The unmet need could be more emotional than physical, and for this reason a coach who is willing to MENTOR can play a crucial role.
Acceptance, understanding, and patience are the gifts a coach can give while waiting for motivation to be ignited. And it is possible that it will show up in some area other than sport.
The question is, when you have athletes like this, will you serve as a committed coach of life when you are not needed as a coach of sport?
So many athletes today are searching for the charismatic adult who will take a personal interest in them, not just in their ability to perform well.