Allison Riley * and Alan L. Smith **
(*) Department of Health and Kinesiology, Purdue University, USA
(**) College of Social Work, Ohio State University, USA
Citation
Riley, A., L. Smith, A. (2011). Perceived coach-athlete and peer relationships of young athletes and self-determined motivation for sport. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 42(1), 115-133.
Abstract
Drawing from the extant sport and social relationships literatures as well as self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985; Ryan & Deci, 2007), the purpose of this study was to examine the association of perceived coach-athlete and peer relationships with self-determined motivation for sport in young athletes. Basketball players (N = 211), aged from 12 to 15 years, completed survey measures of social relationships, including perceived quality of both the coach-athlete relationship and a best friendship on the team as well as peer acceptance. Players also completed measures of psychological needs including perceived autonomy, competence, and relatedness, and a measure tapping self-determined motivation. All three psychological needs partially mediated the association of the perceived coach-athlete relationship and self-determined motivation. Competence also partially mediated the association of perceived friendship quality and self-determined motivation. Social relationship constructs did not moderate one another in predicting psychological need perceptions. The results highlight the importance of both coaches and peers to motivation- related outcomes in youth sport and point to valuable future directions for sport-based social relationships research.
Keywords: Achievement Motivation, Friendship, Social Relationships, Youth Sport