What motivates you to play pickleball? Is it a fun way to lose weight? Is it the social aspects of the game…catching up with friends between matches or heading out for a hardy brunch after you play? For many entering tournaments keeps them working on their game. Perhaps it is just plain fun! Today let’s talk about pickleball motivation.
Motivation vs Focus
In prior posts, we have talked about focus. But focus and motivation are two different things. Motivation is what gets me to the court in the first place. Motivation is my desire to win. Focus, is what I need to stay in the point and to stay present throughout the match.
It is not always easy. Perhaps you have just gotten done with a tournament. The tournament may have taken a lot out of your physically. When you show up to the court the next week, sometimes we just don’t really care. It happens to everyone at some level.
Motivation Keys
There a few keys, I believe, to pickleball motivation:
- Goal Setting: It is important to set both short and long-term goals, and to remind ourselves regularly why we are out there. Fun is a perfectly legitimate reason to play and can be accomplished regardless of how you played that day.
- Set Your Intentions Before You Go on the Court: Your intention may be exercise. Your intention may be remaining focused regardless of the score. One day it might be to play tournament tough, and another it may be to just have fun. You will accomplish your daily goal only if you have determined it in advance.
Pickleball Burn Out
We all can have too much of a good thing. Sometimes we play too much or play in tournaments several weekends in a row. This 
can be tough on your body and your psyche. If you are one of those players, you might want to set some rules for yourself. Perhaps you should limit the number of times you play a week or force yourself to take 3 days off after a tournament.
I have started paying more attention to the time I am not going to the court. It isn’t because I don’t love pickleball…but rather because I love it so much. I don’t want to risk getting burnt-out or risk injury. I don’t want to just show up on the court and go through the motions without a goal and the focus to execute it.
Pickleball Breaks
After completing the Academy in Traverse City Michigan, Linh and I took a little pickleball break. We spent some quality time with each other, and I had a chance to visit family that we hadn’t seen in quite a while. We looked at this time as a pickleball vacation. We didn’t pick up a paddle or go to a court for over a week and a half.
The next time I went to the courts, I was pumped to get back out there.
Sometimes we feel guilty when someone asks us to come to the court because they need a fourth. There are times I feel bad because people want me to come on out and play. But I have to remind myself that if I don’t take care of myself I won’t have anything to give when I jump on the court.
If you can key into what motivates you to play pickleball, and cherish it, you will likely become a better player.
