Toronto’s two main coaches appear to be using the same motivational playbook lately. Last year, Dwane Casey arranged for a 1,300 pound boulder to be placed in the Raptors dressing room, in order to reinforce the team’s “Pound the Rock” motto. During off-season renovations, Randy Carlyle decided to install a slab of limestone, which weighs over five thousand pounds, to demonstrate that the organization is “Rock Solid.”
Although Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment often tolerates the status quo, they were not apparently not satisfied with the Thornhill quarry that provided last year’s stone, purchasing the from a location in Wiarton instead. Irrespective of the concept that the coach is employing as extrinsic motivation, players must buy-in and find their own intrinsic motivation if they really wish to excel.