I first met Steven in early 2022 when his mother was referred to me by another client.

At the time, he was a high school freshman, swimming competitively for his school and a private swim club. Steven was following in the footsteps of his mom, a former collegiate swimmer.

After I started working with Steven, his desire to continue swimming started to fade. He began questioning his motivation. He wondered whether rowing, his father’s sport, might be a better fit.

Steven’s story is one of the clearest examples I’ve seen of how athlete motivation rises and falls, and how to rebuild it when it fades.

Table of Contents

Steven’s Story

A New Beginning

In August 2023, I received an email from Steven’s mother.

Steven had officially transitioned to rowing. In her words, “He’s thriving.”

He was thriving so much that he was beginning to draw interest from Ivy League crew programs.

By September, I was helping Steven prepare for a college interview, something I’ve done with other student-athletes.

My goal in helping him prepare was to narrow his focus. I wanted him to be grounded in his preparation, not reactive to the interviewer.

We focused on three key points:

His WHY: Why rowing? Why this school?
His values: What matters to him as a student-athlete?
His curiosity: What does he want to ask to determine if the school is a good fit?

When the Road Gets Bumpy

Fast forward to April 2024. I received another email from Steven’s mom: things had changed.

He was struggling with injuries, his performance had plateaued, and he was finding it hard to maintain the momentum he had when he first switched from swimming to rowing.

Steven was trying to qualify for the Nationals meet in Florida, something that had been on his radar since the day he started rowing. His recent struggles put that goal in jeopardy.

That’s when we re-engaged in mental performance coaching.

While helping athletes “fix” short-term struggles can be difficult, my responsibility is to meet them where they are and help them move forward.

I went into assessment mode. I asked Steven many questions to gain clarity on the current situation.

What surfaced was clear: Steven’s lack of results had led him to question his purpose.

Rebuilding from the Inside Out

If you know anything about rowing, you know it can be brutal.

Early mornings.

Painful repetition.

Physical and mental exhaustion.

If you don’t know exactly why you’re doing it, then it’s easy to want to quit.

Steven had hit that point. His focus on performance results had caused him to stall out. His athlete motivation was tied to results he wasn’t getting.

So, we went back to basics:

What do you enjoy about rowing?
What can you do differently to improve?
What’s in your control to increase your chances of qualifying?

I encouraged Steven to shrink his focus: stop looking at the big picture and instead zoom in on 24-hour windows.

What is my goal for today?
What action can I take to move closer to it?

Stacking small wins each day shifts the focus from overwhelming long-term goals to achievable short-term actions.

Steven started to shift back to a growth mindset.

A New Opportunity

In the weeks that followed, we worked on setting daily, controllable goals and reinforcing daily reflection: setting a clear intention in the morning, and reviewing how things went at the end of the day.

This helped him stay focused on progress rather than outcomes.

Soon after, Steven’s coaches invited him to join a newly formed “Open 4” boat, a four-person boat without a coxswain.

It was unfamiliar territory, but it turned out to be exactly what he needed.

He didn’t complain that this wasn’t the plan. He attacked the opportunity, much like he did when he switched from swimming to rowing.

He showed up every day, focused on improvement, not just results.

The Turnaround

The Open 4 boat improved quickly, and so did Steven. His confidence, focus, and effort all sharpened as he committed to the process.

The results? They followed.

Yes, the Open 4 boat qualified for Nationals.

No, they didn’t race as well as they had hoped.

But the most important thing? Steven came back from Nationals with a fresh perspective.

He was proud of how he handled adversity and motivated to keep growing. He immediately began building a plan for the summer to support his senior-year goals, both academic and athletic, including the possibility of rowing in the Ivy League.

Oh, and at the team’s end-of-year banquet?

Steven was named team captain for the upcoming season.

The Takeaway

Things rarely go as planned in a young athlete’s journey.

Setbacks happen.

Confidence dips.

Focus wavers.

Motivation dissolves.

But sometimes, all it takes is a shift in perspective to get back on track.

When athletes return to WHY they do what they do, and focus on what they can control each day, the fog often lifts.

It’s not necessarily about fixing. It’s about simplifying, and then taking the next right step.

4 Lessons About Athlete Motivation

Every athlete’s path is different, but Steven’s story shows a pattern I see often. Athlete motivation usually fades for a reason, and it can be rebuilt.

Know your WHY. Athlete motivation built only on results is fragile. When Steven reconnected with what he enjoyed about rowing and why he chose it, he had something to hold onto when results stalled.
Shrink the time frame. Big goals like qualifying for Nationals can feel overwhelming. A 24-hour window, with one goal and one action, makes progress feel possible again, and that’s often what restarts athlete motivation.
Reflect every day. A morning intention and an evening review kept Steven focused on progress. Sport psychology research on the goal-setting process makes the same point: setting a goal is only the start, and planning and follow-up matter just as much.
Treat change as an opportunity. Switching sports, and later joining a new boat, could have felt like setbacks. Steven treated both as a fresh start, which is a big part of what brought his athlete motivation back.

Daily reflection and controllable goals are the same tools I teach in offseason mental training. And for another family’s story of trading worry for a clear plan, read how mental performance coaching brought two hockey families peace of mind.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do young athletes lose motivation?

Common reasons include stalled results, injuries, burnout, pressure from expectations, and losing touch with why they started. Athlete motivation often fades when a young athlete’s focus shifts entirely to outcomes they can’t fully control.

How can parents help with athlete motivation?

Ask open questions about what your athlete enjoys, rather than pushing harder. Praise effort and progress, and help them set small daily goals they control. If they’re considering a new sport, treat it as a real option, as Steven’s parents did.

Is it OK for an athlete to switch sports?

Yes. A drop in athlete motivation in one sport doesn’t mean a young athlete has lost their drive. Steven’s switch from swimming to rowing is what helped him thrive.

Is mental performance coaching for you?

If your athlete’s motivation is fading, or they’ve lost touch with their WHY, a short conversation is the best place to start.

👉 Schedule a free 30-minute consultation now

Michael Huber, MA, CMPC® holds a master’s degree in sport psychology. He helps young athletes ages 14 to 22 be themselves when everyone is watching, including learning how to navigate overthinking under pressure. Learn more about Michael