Summary: When a talented player seems unmotivated, they're usually missing one of three psychological needs: feeling competent, feeling in control of their development, or feeling connected to the team—and addressing the right one changes everything.
I can think of several players over the years who could have been at the top of our league if they were just motivated and confident enough. I tried my best. I succeeded with some. But with others, I watched their potential fade season after season, and I still feel like I failed them.
That weight sits heavy with a lot of us coaches. We see a talented kid who just won't push themselves, who seems disinterested during drills, who shows flashes of brilliance but never sustains the effort. We call them "unmotivated" and wonder what we could have done differently.
Here's what sports psychology research has taught me: we're usually asking the wrong question. The question isn't "How do I motivate this player?" It's "What's preventing this player from accessing their own motivation?"
First, let's get clear on what motivation actually is. Sports psychologists define motivation as the direction of effort over a prolonged period of time—not just a single burst of energy, but sustained commitment toward a goal.
When we see a player who isn't giving consistent effort, we tend to think they don't care. But research tells a different story. Self-Determination Theory, one of the most researched frameworks in sports psychology developed by psychologists Edward Deci and Richard Ryan, proposes that humans have three fundamental psychological needs: autonomy (feeling in control), competence (feeling skilled), and relatedness (feeling connected to others). When any of these needs isn't met, motivation suffers.
Think about that player on your team who seems disengaged. Are they:
Suddenly "unmotivated" starts to look like something else entirely.
Here's where many of us get it wrong, including me for years: we see a talented player not trying hard, and we think they're lazy or don't care. But often, what looks like lack of motivation is actually lack of confidence.
Research in youth athletics reveals that many common coaching practices can unintentionally undermine athletic self-belief. When players don't believe they can succeed, they protect themselves by not trying. It's safer to fail without effort than to give everything and still come up short.
I've seen this pattern countless times: the skilled player who avoids contact, the shooter who passes up open looks, the athlete who goes through the motions in practice. They're not unmotivated—they're protecting themselves from the pain of trying hard and failing anyway.
Studies show that when athletes feel competent and receive adequate feedback that recognizes effort and self-improvement, their perceived performance improves and they're more likely to remain physically active in the future. In other words, confidence isn't just a nice-to-have—it's the foundation that sustained effort is built on.
Here's another place where good intentions go wrong: we try to motivate players with external rewards, trophies, playing time promises, or even punishment for lack of effort.
Research shows that while extrinsic motivation driven by rewards, recognition, or social pressure tends to produce short-term gains, it lacks enduring influence. Intrinsic motivation—doing something because you genuinely enjoy it—is what creates sustained athletic success.
Even more concerning, studies have found that extrinsic motivation can potentially result in athletes losing interest in their sports altogether.
This doesn't mean we never use external motivators. But it means we need to be strategic and careful. The goal is always to help players discover their own internal reasons for competing and improving—whether that's the joy of the game, the satisfaction of improvement, or the bond with teammates.
Now let's talk about what sports psychologists and researchers say actually helps reach players who seem disengaged. These aren't just feel-good tips—they're backed by science.
Self-Determination Theory research emphasizes that intrinsic motivation requires autonomy—feeling in control of one's actions is fundamental to sustained motivation.
What this looks like in practice:
This doesn't mean letting players run practice. It means involving them in decisions that affect them, which increases their investment and engagement.
One of the most effective approaches to building confidence is setting realistic, achievable goals and breaking down long-term objectives into smaller, manageable tasks. This allows youth athletes to experience success regularly, boosting their confidence incrementally.
What this looks like in practice:
For that player who seems to have given up, find one thing they can do well right now, and build from there. Success breeds confidence, confidence breeds effort, effort breeds more success.
What this looks like in practice:
That "unmotivated" player might just be lonely. They might feel like they don't belong. And when you don't feel like you belong, why would you invest yourself fully?
What this looks like in practice:
The player who seems disengaged might just be drowning in criticism. They might feel like nothing they do is good enough. Shift the ratio of positive to corrective feedback, and watch what happens.
This one seems obvious, but we forget it constantly in our drive to develop players and win games.
Sports psychologists emphasize that athletes must find ways to sustain effort through long training seasons, setbacks and plateaus, and that connecting goals to personal values is essential. But none of that matters if the daily experience is miserable.
What this looks like in practice:
I've noticed that players I thought were "unmotivated" often came alive during scrimmages or competitive drills. They didn't lack motivation—they lacked joy in the grinding parts of practice. When I made those parts more engaging, their effort followed.
Here's what I wish I'd understood earlier in my coaching career: very few young athletes are truly unmotivated. Most of them showed up to your team because they love basketball. Something along the way diminished that love, crushed that confidence, or made them feel like they don't belong.
Sometimes that "something" happened before they got to you—previous coaches, negative experiences, harsh parents. Sometimes, if we're honest, it happened on our watch.
The research is clear: a strategic combination of intrinsic motivation, external reinforcement, and a supportive social climate is essential for sustained athletic success. But it starts with us seeing these players differently.
Instead of "Why won't they try harder?" ask:
Here's what's worked for me when I've felt stuck with a player who seems disengaged: pick one player and have a genuine conversation with them this week—not about basketball, just about them. Ask what they're enjoying lately. What's hard for them right now. What they loved about basketball when they first started playing.
Then, set one small, achievable goal together. Maybe help them connect with a teammate who shares similar interests. Maybe just shift how you give them feedback for a few practices.
I've found that even small changes can create surprising breakthroughs. Not always, and not immediately. But more often than I expected.
You might not reach every player—I didn't. But I've learned that when I stop trying to manufacture their motivation and start removing the barriers to it, more players respond than when I was just pushing harder.
Those players you're still thinking about, the ones whose potential you watched fade—they're why this matters. We can't go back and coach them differently. But we can take what we've learned and apply it to today's players. That's what I'm trying to do.
Share your experience in the Hoop Leaders community—have you had an "unmotivated" player breakthrough moment? What helped them turn the corner? When we share what's actually worked (and what hasn't), we all get better at reaching these kids.