Importance of the Motivational Climate in Goal, Enjoyment, and the Causes of Success in Handball Players

Perceived Coach-Created Empowering and Disempowering Climate Effects on Athletes' Intentions to Use Doping: The Mediational Role of Self-Regulatory Efficacy and Attitudes towards Doping

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between perceived coach-created empowering and disempowering motivational climate and doping likelihood among athletes and whether the attitudes towards doping and doping self-regulatory efficacy mediates these relationships.

METHODS

Athletes (N = 948; 50% male; mean age, 20.32, SD = 2.45) recruited from a variety of sports completed questionnaires assessing their perceptions of coach-created motivational climate, attitudes towards doping, doping self-regulatory efficacy, and doping likelihood.

RESULTS

The study's results showed significant negative direct effects of a perceived empowering climate on doping likelihood (β = -0.50) and attitudes towards doping (β = -0.48), and a positive effect on self-regulatory efficacy (β = 0.48). On the contrary, a disempowering climate had positive direct effects on doping likelihood (β = 0.53) and attitudes towards doping (β = 0.45), and a negative effect on self-regulatory efficacy (β = -0.49). Significant indirect effects on doping likelihood via attitudes and self-regulatory efficacy were found.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that athletes who perceive a more empowering climate created by the coach are less likely to use banned substances due to their more negative attitudes towards doping and stronger belief in their ability to resist the temptation to use doping.

The role of parents in the motivation of young athletes: a systematic review

Objectives

Parents are one of the main social agents that shape young athletes' experiences and participation in sports, but they are also the least explored group in the literature. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review of research on the role of parents in the motivation of young athletes.

Method

The systematic literature review consisted of four electronic databases from which 29 articles published in English and in full-text form in peer-reviewed journals between 1999 and 2023 were retrieved.

Results

A total of 29 studies met the eligibility criteria. These studies collectively surveyed 9,185 young athlete participants and 2,191 parent participants. The sample comprised 26 quantitative studies and 3 qualitative studies. The findings underscore that parents play both unique and synergistic multidimensional roles in motivating young athletes. Parents' positive goals and values, autonomy-supportive parenting styles, moderate parental involvement, positive parent-child relationships, and a parent-initiated task climate are identified as optimal parenting strategies.

Conclusion

While parents undeniably play a crucial role in motivating young athletes, the manner and extent of their involvement are key.

Motivation among Teenage Football Players: A Longitudinal Investigation throughout a Competitive Season

The present study aimed to investigate the dynamic changes in behavioral regulations among teenage football players throughout a competitive season, with three measurement points (T1, T2, and T3). The total sample size for the study comprised 108 participants (78 male; 30 female). The participants' mean age was 14.31 (SD = 1.48). A MANOVA repeated measures analysis was performed within the group for all six behavioral regulations based on self-determination theory. The results of the study revealed noteworthy patterns in the behavioral regulations and intrinsic motivation scores over the competitive season. Identified regulation demonstrated a significant increase from T1 to T3 (p < 0.01, η2p = 0.13). Intrinsic motivation displayed a significant decrease over the same period from T1 to T3 (p < 0.01, η2p = 0.12). On the other hand, amotivation, external regulation, introjected regulation, and integrated regulation did not show significant changes between the three time points. The findings have practical implications for coaches and sports practitioners, as they highlight the need to create a supportive and autonomy-promoting environment to sustain athletes' intrinsic motivation throughout a competitive season. Also, recognizing the increase in identified regulation can inform strategies that align team goals and training sessions with players' individual values, thereby enhancing their commitment and dedication to the team's success.

Self-Concept and Self-Esteem, Determinants of Greater Life Satisfaction in Mountain and Climbing Technicians and Athletes

In recent decades, the exponential growth that sports practice in mountain and climbing disciplines have experienced has led to trying to find an explanation for the predisposition of those socio-emotional factors of these athletes that are considered in the search for sensations and the achievement of greater satisfaction with life. In this study, 4818 people with a sports license in the Spanish Federation of Mountain and Climbing Sports (FEDME) participated; 67.1% were men and 32.9% women. The mean age of the participants was 49.42 years (±11.9), between a range of 18 to 76 years. The following instruments were used: the Self-concept scale (AF5), the Rosenberg Self-esteem Questionnaire and the Life satisfaction scale (SWLS). The objective of this research was to study the enhancing effect of self-esteem between self-concept (physical, emotional and social) and life satisfaction. A reflective model of structural equations (PLS-SEM) was applied based on the proposed theoretical framework from an explanatory-predictive perspective. The results show the self-esteem determination coefficients [(Q² = 0.141); (R² = 0.302)] and life satisfaction [(Q² = 0.243); (R² = 0.342)] in the estimation of the model, indicating an adequate fit. Mountaineering and climbing sports can be very rewarding, but they can also be challenging and frustrating. Having a good self-concept and good self-esteem allows the athlete to enjoy achieving greater life satisfaction.

The Importance of Emotional Intelligence in University Athletes: Analysis of Its Relationship with Anxiety

In the field of sport psychology, research on emotional intelligence and its relationship with other psychological variables to determine how it affects the athlete's performance is becoming more frequent and prevalent. Among these psychological variables, research in this field has focused on the evaluation of the influence of aspects such as motivation, leadership, self-concept, and anxiety. The main objective of this research is to analyze the levels of each of the dimensions of emotional intelligence (attention, clarity, and emotional regulation) and their relationship with each of the SCAT items to measure pre-competitive anxiety. To do so, we analyzed the influence that one psychological construct has on the other, in order to establish the type of relationships that are established between them. The design of this research corresponds to be transversal, observational, quantitative, and descriptive. The sample consisted of 165 students belonging to university degrees (bachelor's and master's) related to physical activity and sport sciences. The main finding of this study allows us to affirm the relationship between emotional intelligence and anxiety. This confirms the hypothesis that anxiety is an indispensable component of any competitive situation, and that neither the total absence of anxiety nor high levels of it leads to better sports performance. Therefore, sport psychology should focus on the emotional preparation of athletes so that they can manage and control their anxiety at intermediate levels, which in addition to being typical of a competitive situation, is also synonymous with good sporting performance.

Relationships between somatic anxiety, cognitive anxiety, self-efficacy, and emotional intelligence levels in university physical education students

One of the most studied topics nowadays, from psychology in general, and from sport psychology, is anxiety. In fact, research on anxiety has been approached from various theoretical perspectives ranging from psychoanalysis, behaviorism, or more recently, those theories that take into consideration the importance of affective, rational, and emotional processes. The aim of this study is to analyze the levels of anxiety and emotional intelligence, and their relationship. The sample is composed of 165 university physical education students with a mean age of 20.33 years (SD = 3.44), (70.9% male and 27.9% female). We used the CSAI-2 questionnaire (to measure cognitive anxiety, somatic anxiety, and self-confidence), and the TMMS-24 (to measure emotional intelligence). The main findings of this research highlighted the presence of significant correlations between emotional clarity and emotional regulation, self-confidence, cognitive anxiety, and somatic anxiety. Therefore, we conclude that sporting performance is influenced by various variables of different kinds, including emotions, and highlight the importance of the incorporation of the emotional component in the field of sport.

A cluster analysis of high-performance female team players' perceived motivational climate: Implications on perceived motor competence and autonomous behaviour

High performance sport for females is an area which is gaining more and more relevance today, but which hasn't received the same research interest as sport for males. The aim of the present study was to analyse the motivational climate perceived by high performance female athletes and the implications on perceived motor competence and autonomous behaviour and check the differences according category, sport experience and training hours in performance and master climate. The participants were 615 female athletes who practice top level team sports, with ages comprised of 16 to 38 (M = 22,10; SD = 4,91). The sample consisted of two different categories: junior (n = 242) and senior (n = 373). These players participated in different team sports, specifically football, handball, basketball and volleyball, training between 6 and 24 hours a week (M = 8,34; DT = 4,33). The variables measured were: perceived motivational climate in sport, autonomous behaviour and perceived motor competence. A cluster analysis was carried out using, as a variable, the perceived motivational climate, and showing the existence of two profiles, one related to ego and the other to task. The multivariate analysis showed that the profile orientated towards the task had significant differences compared to the autonomous behaviour (M = 4.66 vs M = 3.41). At the same time an analysis was carried out looking at different social demographic variables, revealing how there were differences in the sports experience (those participants with more than ten years' experience were more orientated towards ego, compared to those with less than ten years' experience) and the category (junior athletes were more orientated towards the task, compared to senior athletes). It was concluded that a greater orientation towards the task can lead to an improvement in the perception of motor competence, with the youngest and least experienced athletes being the most prominent in this category.

Players’ satisfaction with daily pitching performance could predict shoulder and elbow injuries in high-school baseball pitchers: a prospective time-to-event study

Hypothesis and Background

The relationship between baseball pitchers’ satisfaction with their performance and the incidence of shoulder and elbow injuries is unclear. We hypothesized that self-evaluated satisfaction with pitching performance before an injury and incidence of shoulder and elbow injuries are related.

Methods

Baseline data on baseball experience, height, weight, elbow and shoulder range of motion, and shoulder muscle strength of high-school baseball pitchers were collected. During the season, all participants completed a self-recorded questionnaire regarding satisfaction scores, presence of shoulder and/or elbow pain, and pitching limitations due to shoulder and/or elbow pain experienced daily to determine when injuries occurred and record the satisfaction scores. The optimal satisfaction score cutoff value was determined through receiver operating characteristic curve analysis; participants were categorized into satisfied and unsatisfied groups. Statistical tests were performed to evaluate the differences between the groups, obtain the time-to-event curves, and calculate the hazard ratios for the incidence of injury.

Results

Overall, 108 participants aged 15-17 years were enrolled and divided into satisfied (88) and unsatisfied (20) groups. The injury incidence rate was 10.2% and 50.0% in the satisfied and unsatisfied groups, respectively. High-school baseball pitchers with low satisfaction had a significantly increased risk of shoulder and elbow injuries; these players had a 7.3-times greater risk of injuries and 1.9-times earlier occurrence of injuries than pitchers who were satisfied with their performance.

Conclusion

Daily evaluation of players’ self-satisfaction could predict shoulder and elbow injuries in high-school baseball pitchers.

Did You Enjoy It? The Role of Intensity-Trait Preference/Tolerance in Basic Psychological Needs and Exercise Enjoyment

Promoting exercise regimens that aim at enhancing the quality of individuals’ subjective exercise experience can be challenging. Given the recent theoretical contributions regarding the possible interaction of exercise intensity-traits and several motivational variables, as well as their potential value for exercise adherence, the objective of this study was to examine the mediation role of basic psychological needs in the relationship between preference for and tolerance of exercise intensity and enjoyment. This cross-sectional study comprised a total of 160 exercisers (Mage = 34.12, SD = 9.23, 73 males) enrolled in several health clubs. All analyses were performed using SPSS v. 23.0/PROCESS v. 3.4. The results indicate that intensity-traits presented positive associations with enjoyment, and negative associations with all of needs frustration variables. A mediation role of needs frustration emerged in the intensity-traits and enjoyment associations that was analyzed according to relatable theoretical considerations.

The Influence of an Enriched Sport Program on Children's Sport Motivation in the School Context: The ESA PROGRAM

Purpose

Besides the evident positive effect on body development, physical activity has proven to boost executive functions, especially if the exercises are enriched with cognitive stimuli. Previous studies have shown that introducing challenging exercises in the physical activity routine can also enhance motivation. Therefore, enriching a physical education program with cognitively challenging exercises may also foster children’s motivation during physical education classes, where the motivation is high at the beginning of the school year and low at the end of it. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to test if a sport program enriched by cognitive stimuli may improve kids’ motivation or take them out from a state of amotivation along the school year.

Methods

A sample of 342 school children (203 boys, 139 girls) took part in the study. Participants were asked to complete a battery of motivation and perceived social support questionnaires before and after they completed the ESA Program, a sport program enriched with cognitive stimuli. Moreover, parents of these children attended four seminars about the importance of supporting children for the practice of regular physical activity (PA). A control group consisting of children that attended the ordinary physical education school class was also included.

Results

A repeated measures MANOVA model showed that the ESA Program was able to improve children’s general motivation, in particular the intrinsic motivation. The program was not effective in social support, but, independently from the group, the family social support in sports activities decreased for females.

Conclusion

Apart from cognitive improvement, the ESA Program can have beneficial effects on children’s sports motivation in physical education, but not on perceived social support.

Effects of Motivational Climate on Fear of Failure and Anxiety in Teen Handball Players

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of the motivational climate created by the coach and perceived by a group of young, high-performance handball players on their fear of failure and precompetitive anxiety. The study participants were 479 young handball players. The age range was 16–17 years old. Players were administered a battery composed of a Perceived Motivational Climate in Sport Questionnaire, a Performance Failure Appraisal Inventory, and Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2R, to measure the aforementioned theoretical constructs. Using structural equation modelling (SEM), the results showed that the handball players experienced high levels task-involving climate and moderate values of self-confidence. In contrast, players experienced lower levels of ego-involving climate, fear of failure, and cognitive and somatic anxiety. The obtained model shows that fear of failure positively mediates the association between an ego-involving climate with both cognitive and somatic anxiety, and negatively in terms of self-confidence. In contrast, fear of failure does not mediate the associations between a task-involving climate and both somatic and cognitive anxiety and self-confidence.

Effects of a Motivational Climate on Psychological Needs Satisfaction, Motivation and Commitment in Teen Handball Players

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of the motivational climate created by the coach and perceived by a group of young high-performance handball players on their sport motivation, self-determination, sport psychological needs and sport commitment. The study participants were 479 young handball players. The age range was 16–17 years old. Players were administered a battery composed of a Perceived Motivational Climate in Sport Questionnaire, Sport Motivation Scale, the Basic Psychological Needs in Exercise Scale and Sport Commitment Questionnaire to measure the above-mentioned theoretical constructs. Results showed that the handball players showed high levels of a task-involving climate, of basic psychological needs satisfaction and of self-determined motivation and commitment. Higher levels of basic psychological needs such as autonomy and competence were associated with a higher task-involving climate, self-determined index and sport commitment (task-involving climate–basic psychological needs (β = 0.55; 95% IC 0.387/0.682; p = 0.001); Ego-involving climate–basic psychological needs (β = 0.06; 95% IC −0.069/0.181; p = 0.387); Basic psychological needs–self-determined index (β = 0.48; 95% IC 0.376/0.571; p = 0.001); Self-determined index–commitment (β = 0.58; 95% IC 0.488/0.663; p = 0.001). The obtained model showed that basic psychological needs mediated the association between a task-involving climate and self-determination, and self-determination mediated the association between basic psychological needs satisfaction and commitment.

Analysis of the Prediction of Motivational Climate in Handball Players' Fear of Failure

Sports can at times become a negative socializing agent for athletes. The objectives here were to analyse the relationship between motivational climates (involving coaches and peers) and fear of failure in players according to gender and sports experience, and also to control for the extent to which these motivational climates predict the different aversive causes of fear of failure. To this aim, a non-experimental, descriptive, and sectional design was used in which participants answered the Perceived Motivational Climate in Sport Questionnaire, the Peer Motivational Climate in Youth Sports Questionnaire, and the Performance Failure Appraisal Inventory. The sample included 479 handball players aged 16⁻17 years old (mean = 16.60; standard deviation = 0.50) who were playing in Spanish regional youth category handball teams. The results revealed that the task-involving training climate predominates in both genders over the ego-involving training climate, particularly in girls and in less experienced players. The peer ego-involving climate also predominates with respect to the peer task-involving climate in both genders, but this is particularly so for boys and in more experienced players. Furthermore, except for fear of feeling shame, which was predicted by the peer ego-involving climate, all the aversive causes of fear of failure are predicted mainly by the coach climate. The immediate environment was proved to be determinant in avoidance behaviours and fear of failure.

The Importance of the Coach in Predicting Implicit Beliefs about Skill and Beliefs about the Causes of Success in Handball Players

The objective of the present study was to determine the predictive capacity of the motivational climate generated by coaches and perceived by handball players on implicit beliefs about ability and beliefs about the causes of success in sport. The sample consisted of 444 youth handball players. These players completed the Beliefs about the Causes of Success in Sport Questionnaire, the Conceptions of the Nature of Athletic Ability Questionnaire, Version Two, and the Perceived Motivational Climate in Sport Questionnaire. The structural regression model showed that the mastery climate positively predicted the belief in incremental ability and that this in turn positively predicts both belief in athletic success through effort and ability. The results reflected the importance of the coach in the formative process of the player and the search for performance in sport.

Emotional Intelligence, Motivational Climate and Levels of Anxiety in Athletes from Different Categories of Sports: Analysis through Structural Equations

(1) Background: Psychological factors can strongly affect the athletes&rsquo; performance. Therefore, currently the role of the sports psychologist is particularly relevant, being in charge of training the athlete&rsquo;s psychological factors. This study aims at analysing the connections between motivational climate in sport, anxiety and emotional intelligence depending on the type of sport practised (individual/team) by means of a multigroup structural equations analysis. (2) 372 semi-professional Spanish athletes took part in this investigation, analysing motivational climate (PMCSQ-2), emotional intelligence (SSRI) and levels of anxiety (STAI). A model of multigroup structural equations was carried out which fitted accordingly (&chi;² = 586.77; df = 6.37; p < 0.001; Comparative Fit Index (CFI) = 0.951; Normed Fit Index (NFI) = 0.938; Incremental Fit Index (IFI) = 0.947; Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) = 0.069). (3) Results: A negative and direct connection has been found between ego oriented climate and task oriented climate, which is stronger and more differentiated in team sports. The most influential indicator in ego oriented climate is intra-group rivalry, exerting greater influence in individual sports. For task-oriented climate the strongest indicator is having an important role in individual sports, while in team sports it is cooperative learning. Emotional intelligence dimensions correlate more strongly in team sports than in individual sports. In addition, there was a negative and indirect relation between task oriented climate and trait-anxiety in both categories of sports. (4) Conclusions: This study shows how the task-oriented motivational climate or certain levels of emotional intelligence can act preventively in the face of anxiety states in athletes. Therefore, the development of these psychological factors could prevent anxiety states and improve performance in athletes.