Why Some Players Don't Give 100% Effort

Ray Lewis | Penn Live

If you're a coach, you probably have some players who—for whatever reason—don't seem to go all out. Whether it's in the weight room, conditioning, or practices/games, some players leave much to be desired when it comes to their effort.

And while great effort doesn't always translate to success, it sure does help your chances and is something every individual has complete control over.

Pro Football Hall of Famer Ray Lewis said it best when he said, "Wins and losses come a dime a dozen. But effort? Nobody can judge effort. Because effort is between you and you. Effort has nothing to do with anybody else."

In my experience working with professional athletes all the way down to youth athletes, it usually boils down to two reasons as to why some players don't give great effort. Of course there could be many others, but these two almost always seem to be the reason why less effort is given:

They are lazy. This is probably the one you were thinking of. Every team has lazy players (and every player has lazy moments) but this is not nearly as common as the second reason below.

They are scared. Many players don't go all out because, that way, they can always lie to themselves and say what they would have done if they really tried.

Observe these two attributes with the players on your team. Am I wrong? Or am I unfortunately right?

I don't know about you, but there are a lot of things I would rather have people call me than lazy or scared. It might prove to be worthwhile to mention this to your players.

Cultivate an environment where excellent effort is required, not encouraged; demanded, not suggested; expected, not wishful thinking.

Play with one speed.

Play all out.

Never play scared.