What is the norm motivated or unmotivated athletes?

sorry, are you referring to hs athletes? I assume so.

I think part of what you are seeing is actually a perception issue.

If it is college that you are coaching, I'd say that is a team or coaching (could be the coach you replaced) issue. There absolutely should not be an issue with motivation on a college team (other than an occasional individual athlete burning out or having a crisis of course).

Sorry that I did not clarify. I am at a D1 women's only team. After individual meetings I had a sum total of 5 athletes actually know what their pr's are. I have never seen this type of disinterest before. Have things changed this much over a decade of me being away? It honestly hurts my soul a bit.

What PRs didn't they know?

Did they not know their 1500 or 5000 PRs from track?

Or did they not know their XC PRs when they never run the same course/conditions from year to year?

Times do not matter in XC. We say that all the time but some people actually understand it.

Do they not know what place they are on the team or remember that they scored last race and are going to be relied on to score next race?

Cross kids did not know there track pr's (except 1) and could not tell me what place they finished they never check the results after the race only when we go over it as a team. The track and field group had 4 that new what their pr's were. That is 5 across all events. I have just never experienced anything like this in our sport.