The off-season is where the biggest strides are made to becoming bigger, faster, and stronger. It doesn’t suddenly happen at the beginning of football camp or magically occur when sign-ups begin. The real work gets done in the dog days of summer. The unfortunate part of that, there is little to offer in terms of short-term rewards. During the season, you have games and wins to show your hard work is paying off. The off-season can drag and get repetitive. Finding ways to motivate and inspire athletes can be difficult, here are a few changes around that weight room that can help.
Weight Room Record Board
There is no better motivator than competition. Stoke that with constant reminders to everyone what others are doing around them. Weight room dry erase boards can be easily changed as soon as new accomplishments are hit. Top dogs want to stay at the top and every athlete behind them wants that top spot.
Weight room record boards can be formatted to fit your goals in the weight room. Football teams may want to recognize the bench and squat, while basketball may be concerned more about vertical and shuttle runs. The only thing we recommend is to be sure and include a top-5 current-athlete list along with an all-time list of records. Current leaders give everyone that is there day-to-day something to shoot for, and the all-time list gives your best athletes a mark above everyone around them.
Motivational Signs
While some motivational signs can seem cliché, the right quotes can really motivate athletes. They also give you a chance to reinforce the core ideas of your program. Here are a few or our favorite weight room training quotes:
- “To be number one, you have to train like you’re number two” – Maurice Green
- “No one has ever drowned in sweat.” – Lou Holtz
- “I hate every minute of training. But I said, don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.” – Mohammad Ali
- “Do today what others won’t, so tomorrow you can do what others can’t.” – Jerry Rice
- “Your body can stand almost anything. It’s your mind that you have to convince.” – Unknown
Weight Room Graphics
While this is a bit of a broad topic to motivate athletes, it is an important one. You often hear athletes talk about “look good, play good” the same goes for training. Stepping into a facility that they can have pride to be working out in boosts their motivation to train. There is a reason that college facilities are constantly updating, players want to work out in great facilities.
This doesn’t mean that you must renovate the entire space or start construction on a new building. Placing wall graphics in key areas can add color and transform a dreary boring room into a branded weight room facility. Look for long walls or entryways to add weight room graphics. These can simply be a logo and school name to brand the facility or incorporate your core program values.
Ready to motivate your athletes in the weight room? Reach out to a Team Fitz rep today for a free custom proof and quote. They can answer any questions and show you how to create a weight room that motivates throughout the year.