“You gotta help me get out of this funk,” was the first sentence spoken by my new client. Loren, a small forward on the local college basketball team, quickly identified how she wanted to get out of her slump and find her basketball rhythm more consistently again.

Through Loren’s descriptions and answers, I noticed the general concept of motivation repeatedly came up. She commented on the grind of the long draining season, the culture of a struggling team, and her inconsistent energy levels.

In our weekly sessions, which involved handouts and role-playing exercises, Loren was able to identify both her external and internal motivational sources. She learned how to store negative comments in the back of her mind and use them strategically as motivational fuel for the weight room, early morning practices, and 4th quarter stretches. Teammates would even notice how Loren could seemingly “turn on a switch” to get things going.

In addition, Loren completed my “picture motivation” homework assignment requiring her to attach a small tag and photo onto her basketball gym bag. The photo would serve as a reminder of our conversations and provide an extra energy spark.

Despite warming the bench the season prior, Loren was nominated team captain by her teammates. Becoming a consistently high-energy player on the court and learning how to grind out the long season were the two elements Loren appreciated most from our individual session work.