Why do you play sports?

Most of us reading this never competed at the Olympics and likely never aspired to. But we’ve all played sports at some point.

Around the world, countless people dedicate themselves to practicing their technique, training in the gym, and studying the legends of their sport—all to make improvements that, for the vast majority, will never truly matter on a grand scale.

Why wake up at 5 a.m. to train before work? Why brave the cold to practice? Why sacrifice weekends with friends and family to compete in a tournament that few will remember?

We go to work for a paycheck, with tangible rewards tied to our performance. But in sport—where the results are irrelevant for 99% of us—why do we invest so much time and effort into something with so little extrinsic reward?

This intrinsic motivation—the driving force behind why we engage with sport—is the key to engaging our students. It should be the foundation of all our lessons if we want to foster a lifelong connection to physical activity.

Our role as educators isn’t just to teach skills or win competitions. It’s to help students discover their passion, their “why.” Each student will carve their own path, find their sport, and uncover their unique motivation. But if we focus solely on outcomes—scores, wins, and results—we risk overlooking what truly fuels their love for sport.

Great teaching is about sparking change in our students. And that change happens when we understand and nurture the forces that drive each individual. By tapping into that intrinsic motivation, we can inspire not just participation but a lifelong love of sport.