Grounded on the self-determination theory, the aim of this study was to assess the impact of perceived need support/thwarting, psychological needs satisfaction/frustration and motivation on young soccer players’ sport commitment.
Equipment and methods
We used a sample of 430 male soccer players (Mage = 14.21 years, SD = 1.67 years, range = 12–18 years).
Results
Structural equation model analysis (χ2/df = 2.31; CFI = 0.91, TLI = 0.89, GFI = 0.91, SRMR = 0.03, RMSEA = 0.05) showed that coach supporting style positively correlated with players’ needs satisfaction, which, in turn positively predicted intrinsic motivation, which, in turn positively predicted sport commitment. On another hand, coach thwarting style positively predicted needs frustration, which positively predicted amotivation, and amotivation negatively predicted sport commitment.
Conclusion
The coach-created training environment can be crucial for the satisfaction or frustration of the basic psychological needs and, as a consequence, it could play an important role in young soccer players’ sport commitment.
DudaJLTreasureDC. Motivational processes and the facilitation of quality engagement in sport. Appl Sport Psychol2010, pp. 59–80.
2.
SarrazinPVallerandRGuilletEet al.Motivation and dropout in female handballers: A 21-month prospective study. Eur J Soc Psychol2002; 32: 395–418.
3.
DeciELRyanRM. The “what” and “why” of goal pursuits: Human need and the self-determination of behaviour. Psychol Inq2000; 11: 227–268.
4.
RyanRMDeciEL. Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development and wellbeing. Am Psychol2000; 55: 68–78.
5.
AdieJWDudaJLNtoumanisN. Perceived coach-autonomy support, basic need satisfaction and the well- and ill-being of elite youth soccer players: A longitudinal investigation. Psychol Sport Exerc2012; 13: 51–59.
6.
CurranTHillAPHallHKet al.Perceived coach behaviours and athletes’ engagement and disaffection in youth sport: The mediating role of the psychological need. Int J Sport Psychol2014; 45: 559–80.
7.
HealyLCNtoumanisNVeldhuijzenvan ZantenJet al.Goal striving and well-being in sport: The role of contextual and personal motivation. J Sport Exerc Psychol2014; 36: 446–459.
8.
Isoard-GautheurSGuillet-DescasELemyrePN. A prospective study of the influence of perceived coaching style on burnout propensity in high level young athletes: Using a self-determination theory perspective. Sport Psychol2012; 26: 282–298.
9.
RyanRMDeciEL. The darker and brighter sides of human existence: Basic psychological need as a unifying concept. Psychol Inq2000; 11: 319–338.
10.
VansteenkisteMRyanRM. On psychological growth and vulnerability: Basic psychological need satisfaction and need frustration as a unifying principle. J Psychother Integr2013; 23: 263–280.
11.
SolstadBEvan HoyeAOmmundsenY. Social-contextual and intrapersonal antecedents of coaches’ basic need satisfaction: The intervening variable effect of providing autonomy-supportive coaching. Psychol Sport Exerc2015; 20: 84–93.
12.
JangHReeveJDeciEL. Engaging students in learning activities: It is not autonomy support or structure but autonomy support and structure. J Educ Psychol2010; 102: 588–600.
13.
FentonSADudaJLQuestedEet al.Coach autonomy support predicts autonomous motivation and daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and sedentary time in youth sport participants. Psychol Sport Exerc2014; 15: 453–463.
14.
BartholomewKJNtoumanisNRyanRMet al.Self-determination theory and diminished functioning: The role of interpersonal control and psychological need thwarting. Pers Soc Psychol B2011; 0146167211413125.
15.
BartholomewKNtoumanisNRyanRMet al.Psychological need thwarting in the sport context: Assessing the darker side of athletic experience. J Sport Exerc Psychol2011; 33: 75–102.
16.
ReeveJ. Why teachers adopt a controlling motivating style toward students and how they can become more autonomy supportive. Educ Psychol2009; 44: 159–175.
17.
AmouraCBerjotSGilletNet al.Autonomy-supportive and controlling styles of teaching: Opposite or distinct teaching styles?Swiss J Psychol2015; 74: 141–158.
18.
MatosicDCoxAE. Athletes’ motivation regulations and need satisfaction across combinations of perceived coaching behaviors. J Appl Psychol2014; 26: 302–317.
19.
BlanchardCMAmiotCEPerreaultSet al.Cohesiveness, coach’s interpersonal style and psychological need: Their effects on self-determination and athletes’ subjective well-being. Psychol Sport Exerc2009; 10: 545–551.
20.
DeciELRyanRM. Self-determination theory: A macro-theory of human motivation, development, and health. Can Psychol2008; 49: 182–185.
21.
StebbingsJTaylorIMSprayCMet al.Antecedents of perceived coach interpersonal behaviors: The coaching environment and coach psychological well- and ill-being. J Sport Exerc Psychol2012; 34: 481–502.
22.
ScanlanTKRussellDGBealsKPet al.Project on elite athlete commitment (PEAK): II. A direct test and expansion of the sport commitment model with elite amateur sportsmen. J Sport Exerc Psychol2003; 25: 377–401.
23.
ScanlanTKSimonsJPCarpenterPJet al.The sport commitment model: Measurement development for the youth-sport domain. J Sport Exerc Psychol1993; 15: 16–38.
24.
PelletierLGFortierMSVallerandRJet al.Associations among perceived autonomy support, forms of self-regulation, and persistence: A prospective study. Motiv Emotion2001; 25: 279–306.
25.
QuestedENtoumanisNViladrichCet al.Intentions to drop-out of youth soccer: A test of the basic needs theory among European youth from five countries. Int J Sport Psychol2013; 11: 395–407.
26.
ScanlanTKRussellDGScanlanLAet al.Project on Elite Athlete Commitment (PEAK): IV. Identification of new candidate commitment sources in the sport commitment model. J Sport Exerc Psychol2013; 35: 525–535.
27.
CurranTHillAPNiemiecCP. A conditional process model of children’s behavioral engagement and behavioral disaffection in sport based on self-determination theory. J Sport Exerc Psychol2013; 35: 30–43.
28.
FentonSADudaJLBarrettT. Optimising physical activity engagement during youth sport: A self-determination theory approach. J Sport Sci2016, pp. 1–11.
29.
JowettGEHillAPHallHKet al.Perfectionism, burnout and engagement in youth sport: The mediating role of basic psychological needs. Psychol Sport Exerc2016; 24: 18–26.
30.
García-CalvoTLeoFMMartínEet al.Sport commitment and its relationship with dispositional and situational motivational factors. Rev Int Cienc Deporte2008; 4: 45–58.
31.
IñigoMMPodlogLHallMS. Why do athletes remain committed to sport after severe injury? An examination of the sport commitment model. Sport Psychol2015; 29: 143–155.
32.
Pulido JJ, Sánchez-Oliva D, Leo FM, et al. Development and validation of Coach’s Interpersonal Style Questionnaire (CIS-Q). Meas Phys Educ Exerc Sci 2017; 22: 25–37.
33.
PulidoJJSánchez-OlivaDGonzález-PonceIet al.Adaptation of the Basic Psychological Needs Exercise Scale to football. Rev Iberoam Psicología Ejerc Deporte2016; 11: 177–184.
34.
SánchezJMNúñezJL. Preliminary analysis of the psychometric properties of a Spanish version of the Basic Psychological Needs in Exercise Scale. Rev Iberoam Psicología Ejerc Deporte2007; 2: 83–92.
35.
Balaguer I, Castillo I, Mercé J, et al. Psychological Need Thwarting Scale in the sport context: Analysis of the psychometric properties. In: VII Ibero-American Congress of Psychology, Oviedo, Spain, 2010.
36.
PulidoJJSánchez-OlivaDGonzález-PonceIet al.Adaptation and validation of a questionnaire to assess motivation in the sport context. Cuad Psic Deporte2015; 15: 17–26.
37.
SousaCTorregrosaMViladrichCet al.The commitment of young soccer players. Psicothema2007; 19: 256–262.
38.
ByrneB. Structural equation modelling with AMOS: Basic concepts, applications, and programming, Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum, 2001.
39.
HuLBentlerPMEvaluating model fit. In: HoyleRH (ed). Structural equation modelling: Concepts, issues, and applications, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 1995, pp. 76–99.
40.
NunnallyJCBernsteinIJ. Teoría psicométrica, Madrid: McGraw-Hill, 1995.
41.
BalaguerIGonzálezLFabraPet al.Coaches’ interpersonal style, basic psychological need and the well-and ill-being of young soccer players: A longitudinal analysis. J Sport Sci2012; 30: 1619–1629.
42.
PetlichkoffLMThe drop-out dilemma in youth sports. In: Bar-OrO (ed). The child and adolescent athlete: Encyclopedia of sports medicine, Oxford: Blackwell Science, 1996, pp. 418–432.
