Football motivation. The idea is pervasive in football culture. There are videos, quotes, posters, and over 30 million results for the Google search. It’s also big on Twitter. There are also scholarly articles written on motivation and sport psychology.
Motivation is an integral aspect of any endeavor requiring hard work. This is especially true in the off-season. Players and coaches must be motivated to put in the work necessary to get better. This involves study and a great deal of training. It involves breaking down game film, learning from past mistakes and implementing new ideas. It involves hours in the weight room building strength and power. Then it requires many more hours on the track or in the gym to improve flexibility, speed and agility. All of this requires discipline and motivation.
Then there is also the emotional aspects of the game. Football and emotion are deeply entwined . We see this emotion on so many levels. It manifests itself in the passion of fans, in the joy of victory, and in the agony of defeat. We also see it at the close of each season, often with tears. Tears of joy after claiming a title, or tears of grief when falling short of the goal. As such, it is possible to motivate by invoking emotion and inspiration. This is often done with music and narrative. Most of us have heard the great motivational speeches of Vince Lombardi and Knute Rockne. Many of us have also witnessed the effect of the music and voice overs in an NFL Films production.
So I want to showcase some of the best football motivational work I’ve seen. In my mind, the 2012 motivational campaign implemented by Navy’s football program is one of the most cohesive and effective I’ve seen. Plus they run the Flexbone, so as a coach of an option offense it is even more meaningful. Navy released the following videos last spring and throughout the 2012 season. I’ve posted a few of them before, but wanted get them all up. The list includes a video entitled “The Journey,” a motivational video for each game, and a 15 minute highlight video for the 2012 season. Check them out and let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
Football Motivation Videos
Navy Football “The Journey” from Navy Football Video on Vimeo.
2012 Friday Night Motivational vs Notre Dame from Navy Football Video on Vimeo.
2012 Friday Night Motivational vs VMI from Navy Football Video on Vimeo.
2012 Navy Football Motivational vs San Jose State from Navy Football Video on Vimeo.
Navy Football Motivational 2012 vs Air Force from Navy Football Video on Vimeo.
2012 Navy Football Motivational vs Central Michigan from Navy Football Video on Vimeo.
Navy Football Motivational 2012 vs Indiana from Navy Football Video on Vimeo.
Navy Football Motivational 2012 vs ECU from Navy Football Video on Vimeo.
Navy Football Motivational 2012 vs FAU from Navy Football Video on Vimeo.
2012 Friday Night Motivational vs Troy from Navy Football Video on Vimeo.
2012 Friday Night Motivational vs Troy from Navy Football Video on Vimeo.
2012 Navy Football Motivational vs Army from Navy Football Video on Vimeo.
2012 Navy Football Motivational – ASU from Navy Football Video on Vimeo.
2012 Navy Football Highlights from Navy Football Video on Vimeo.
