Motivational Antecedents of Young Players’ Intentions to Drop Out of Football during a Season

Abstract

Grounded in self-determination theory (SDT), the major aim of this study was to examine the social, environmental, and motivational predictors of adolescent football players’ intentions to drop out of their sport over the course of a season. Participants were 552 players (Mage = 11.23, SD = 1.14). A longitudinal model was tested which hypothesized changes in the coach’s interpersonal style (autonomy supportive, controlling) perceived by the players to predict changes in the players’ motivation (autonomous, controlled and amotivation) which subsequently predicted changes in their intentions to drop out at the season’s end. The results of the longitudinal path analysis presented an adequate fit to the data. Consistent with SDT, findings suggest that increases in autonomy-supportive coaching is promotive of increases in players’ autonomous motivation, which negatively predicted dropout intentions. Over time, more perceived controlling coaching behaviors positively predicted higher levels of controlled motivation and amotivation, with positive changes in the latter corresponding to stronger intentions to dropout.