Motivational strategies of sport coaches in South Africa

The purpose of this investigation was to establish what techniques or strategies are used by sports coaches in South Africa to motivate their athletes / players. Altogether 780 questionnaires were distributed to sports coaches, of which 274 were used for the interpretation of the data collected. A factor analysis showed that sports coaches in South Africa mainly make use of the following strategies to motivate their athletes / players: reward, the winning factor, cognitive techniques and the building of self-confidence. Significant differences were found with regard to the way in which sports coaches apply the motivation strategies identified according to the different sport types, levels of coaching, gender, and training in sport psychology. At the same time no significant differences could be noted for the variables institution (high school and primary school sports coaches), experience as a sports coach, and qualifications (training) as a sports coach.