Patrick Gaudreau
-SRG 2009
Fecteau, M.C., Verner-Filion, J.
Français
Athletes can participate in sport for a variety of reasons. Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 2002) categorizes the various reasons for which a sport activity can be pursued into six types of motivation that can be regrouped in two broad dimensions of motivation: Autonomous and controlled motivation. Past research indicated that athletes are more likely to perform their sport for reasons closely aligned with their interests, values, and priorities (autonomous motivation) when their social environment (e.g., coach, parents, team) satisfies their needs for autonomy, competence, and social connectedness (Gillet, Berjot, & Gobancé, 2009) . However, little research has examined whether need satisfaction and autonomous motivation can promote optimal performance of athletes using objective indicators of sport achievement. This study conducted with a sample of 59 U-12 soccer players enrolled in a 6-month selection process examined the role of need satisfaction and sport motivation to predict selection into a regional team for the 2010 summer provincial games in Quebec. Need satisfaction and sport motivation were measured with questionnaires at the start of the selection process. Results of logistic regression analyses indicated that need satisfaction and autonomous sport motivation significantly increased the likelihood of being selected into the team six months later. Furthermore, mediation analyses revealed that autonomous sport motivation was responsible of carrying the effect of need satisfaction on team selection. Non-selection in higher levels of competition can result in reduced sport enjoyment and increased negative emotions while promoting withdrawal from sport participation (Grove, Fish, & Eklund, 2004) . Need satisfaction and autonomous sport motivation seem to play an important role in making adolescent soccer players more competitive in their sport. Future work should examine whether autonomous sport motivation can also protect the non-selected athletes from experiencing psychological distress and drop-out intentions in the days, weeks, and months following team selection.
Contact Us
