Profiles of motivation, fear of failure and anxiety in young handball players: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

The aim of this study was to identify distinctive profiles (clusters) of high-level, young handball players according to their motivation, fear of failure and competitive state anxiety. In addition, we examined differences in the distribution of gender, age, and players’ position within each profile. The study participants were 479 young handball players. The age range was 16–17 years old. Players were administered a battery composed of Sport Motivation Scale, Performance Failure Appraisal Inventory and Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2R, to measure the above-mentioned theoretical constructs. Results showed three different player profiles that the discriminant analysis with canonical correlations grouped into two functions. Function 1 was characterized by those players with the highest values of motivation and self-confidence, and function 2 included those players with lower self-determined motivation, more amotivation, more fear of failure and the highest levels of anxiety. The results provide relevant information for coaches, as they will help them design individualized training programs that will improve athletes' performance, while ensuring their health and well-being.