In this article we have attempted to study the motivational component in the preparation of athletes for competition, since in today's high performance sport, athletes have about the same level of physical, technical and tactical training, thus increasing the importance of mental readiness for competition. We analyzed the ratio of motive for success and avoiding failure in the context of the balance of these two oppositions. The concepts of training and preparedness of competitive activity as psycho-pedagogical phenomenon. The study we proposed psycho-educational recommendations as elements of psychological services at the Novosibirsk State Pedagogical University.