Janet Starkes – SRG 2006
Baker, J., Logan, A.J., Weir, P.L.
Français
The Sport Commitment Model (SCM; Scanlan, 1993, 2003) examines the factors that contribute, either positively or negatively, to sport participation. Although originally developed for youth, the model is beginning to be used with more diverse populations, including high performance athletes and adults. Our project applied this model to masters athletes, a group of older sport participants, to determine the nature of their commitment to their sport and the factors which are most important for their sport engagement. Using data from a variety of sports (marathon running, track & field, golf, bowling, triathlon, & ultra-endurance running), we aim to answer the following questions:
- Does motivation and commitment to sport change across age in adult athletes?
- Are there gender differences in motivation for sport?
- Does motivation for continued participation change in high active (e.g., marathon, triathlon) vs. low active (e.g., golf, bowling) sports?
In previous years we have reported that: (a) sport enjoyment, involvement opportunities, and personal investment were the top three reasons for participation; (b) functional commitment (wanting to participate) determined sport involvement more than obligatory commitment (needing to participate); (c) functional commitment was slightly higher in older (> 65 years) than younger (40-65 years) athletes; and (d) male athletes were more likely to be motivated by extrinsic rewards, like trophies and prizes, than female athletes.
For this conference, we focused on the third question: namely, does the activity level of the sport affect motivation to participate? We compared the answers from our marathon runners (mean age 52 ± 5 years) with new data from recreational bowlers (mean age 65 ± 9 years). Bowlers showed higher levels of obligatory commitment (having to participate) and social constraints (e.g., pressure from other people) in their sport participation than marathon runners. Marathon runners were more likely to show involvement opportunities (e.g., being with their friends) and personal investment (time, money, effort) than bowlers. These findings could be attributed to the activity level of the sport, or other factors such as training time and team dynamics.
We also examined what factors predicted functional commitment (R 2 = .76, N = 88) and obligatory commitment (R 2 = .62, N = 88) in bowlers. Functional commitment was significantly predicted by personal investments and satisfaction, while obligatory commitment was significantly predicted by involvement alternatives, personal investments, satisfaction, and social constraints.
From these findings it seems especially important for athletes to feel a sense of satisfaction and personal investment in their sport. Although some questions remained unanswered, these data will provide us with insights on what motivates sport participation in a variety of disciplines. With attention to these factors, we will be able to design sport programs for older adults that are suited to their needs, and will engage them for life.
Contact Us
