the point CLUB TIPS by Dr. Ina Harizanova
FROM I LOVE TO PLAY, TO THE LOVE OF FENCING
I
was recently talking with parents, who were concerned about their 14-year-old daughter’s lack of “right” motivation. They were disappointed because she told them she was going to fencing practice so she could have fun with her friends. The parents shared it was all about winning in their athletic career when they were young, and insisted their daughter needed to focus on getting results. Motivation is what drives us to initiate and persist at a task despite disappointments, fatigue, pain and failure. It is influenced by the interplay of a variety of internal psychological and external situational factors. No one exists in a vacuum. Our values, needs, beliefs and attitudes inform our thoughts, feelings and actions in-and-out of fencing. Our past experiences with others at home and at school, in activities and with the media teach us how to view ourselves, even before we get involved in fencing. Think about a friend who only engages with you after you win fencing bouts or tournaments. If this feels like something a good friend does, then ask yourself how you learned a friendship includes such conditions. Or would you prefer a friend who accepts and supports you regardless of your fencing results? What about sports commentators explaining athletic success with one word – talent? The message that sport is all about talent can be discouraging. Research consistently shows children first get involved in organized sports because playing sports is fun. There have been as many as 81 fun-determinants identified. The meaning of fun changes and evolves throughout one’s fencing career. Moreover, there often are discrepancies among what young fencers mean and express as fun, and how adults understand it. Open and
non-judgmental discussions between fencers and coaches, parents and children help clarify what it means to the fencer to have fun. The light and pleasureful feeling children get when they first play fencing-related games is impossible to sustain throughout a competitive career. Instead, it is better to focus on enjoyment. Making fencing practice enjoyable through a combination of fun games and fencing drills focused on new learning can foster a love of the sport. Learning new technical skills and successfully completing tasks give young fencers the sense of competence, which in turn enhances intrinsic motivation (desire to achieve arising from within the person). Then the youngster is eager to come to fencing practice. The sense of enjoyment serves as a foundation for continuous learning and growth regardless of errors, setbacks and disappointments. As fencers mature, the love of the sport fuels their efforts in training and competition. Gradually, difficult drills once viewed as “boring” or “impossible” are now perceived as challenges. So, fun takes on a different meaning. There is an inner sense of enjoyment and fulfilment when one successfully completes challenging drills, boosting intrinsic motivation. When motivation comes from within, tournaments are perceived as fun and they become mentally, physically and emotionally stimulating. The fencer is able to recognize and solve critical moments in pool and elimination bouts, and his/her sense of autonomy grows, which leads to enhanced performance. As training intensifies and fencers enter higher levels of competition, stronger commitment is needed to succeed. Fencers may need to train in ways that are less enjoyable but benefit their fencing progress
(such as conditioning, for example). In contrast to intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation is typically based on rewards like medals, scholarships, college acceptance and approval by peers, parents and coaches. Both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation can drive fencers to initiate additional training in an effort to better their game and/or improve self-discipline. But, when extrinsic rewards are perceived as pressure and/or as fulfilling others’ goals and desires, fencers’ motivation can decrease and dropout may follow. In these situations, some fencers may feel conflicted because they also love fencing. The main reason is the sport is not fun anymore. They may need time (and sometimes professional help) to sort out others’ desires and expectations and their own. When this
QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: 1. What makes fencing fun for you (in practice and tournaments)? 2. How has your motivation for fencing changed throughout the years? 3. What is the motivational atmosphere in your club? 4. What kind of input or choices do you have in your daily fencing practice?
5. What do you wish your _____________ (parent/s, coach/ es, teammates, friends outside of fencing…) knew about your fencing?
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