Both of them can be encouraged, rewarded, and cultivated but nobody can “teach” an athlete (or anyone else for that matter) high energy or a good attitude. They have to be taken care of internally.
Energy.
Players will get tired and even exhausted at times. That’s physical. Lethargic (having low energy) is mental. Never be lethargic. Low energy players can be spotted a mile away and not a single coach at any level wants a low energy player. If a player is lethargic at his current level, he will be even worse at the next level when more practice time, travel, games, etc. are added. If an energetic player gets lethargic on or around the field, it’s probably because they forgot their “Why?” Ever wake up and hit the snooze button four or five times before school or work and then move around like a slug until you had to leave? How about when you had to get up even earlier to go on family vacation like Disney or that amazing tournament? I bet you got up before your alarm even sounded. That’s because you knew your “Why?” Why are you on the field? Why do you play the game? Why have you put so much time into developing yourself? Figure out and/or remind yourself of what your “why” is and often the energy problems go away. If any fan on either side leaves the game and is asked “Who was the player on the field with the most energy?”, will they say your name? If not, why not? Be a high energy player.
Attitude.
Players with a good attitude don’t complain about things they cannot control – other people, coaches, parents, fans, umpires, etc. If they complain at all then it’s a complaint about their own efforts and performance. They take responsibility for EVERYTHING that happens to them. They don’t expect others to fill them up with high self-esteem before they achieve. A good attitude knows that self-esteem comes from hard work and better performance. A good attitude criticizes nobody. When their coach screams and/or calls them out in front of everyone, they don’t call the coach a jerk. They take the message from what the coach said and don’t focus on the method the coach used to say it. Complaints and criticism are “time sucks” that divert much needed time and mental energy away from what is more important – finding ways to get better. A good attitude eliminates the word “failure” from their vocabulary and replaces it with “opportunity.” They see adversity as a friendly door that leads to growth and not a scary one to avoid. A good attitude welcomes mistakes and does not fear them. A good attitude never uses phrases like “I wish …” or “If only ….” Those phrases rely on hope and chance. A good attitude would never risk their career on hope or chance. A good attitude takes deliberate action and goes for what it wants and never stops until they get it.
Practice the mechanical skills of the game all you want but if you don’t get your mind right in terms of your energy and attitude, you’ll never realize what you are capable of doing.