Browsing by Author "Ilmola, Riina"

Aim. According to earlier research, motivation is closely related to many issues in sports, such as success, enjoyment, persistence and intensity. The self-determination theory (SDT) was chosen as the theoretical framework of the present study. According to the SDT, motivation is divided into intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation and amotivation. In the present study, an attempt was made to examine the effects of motivation on dropout from organized ice hockey among adolescent boys. In addition, the purpose was to examine the effects of motivation on success in ice hockey and how parental support and pressure affect players' motivation. Method. Participants (n=671) of the study consisted of 14- and 15-year-old boys participating ice hockey. They completed a survey questionnaire which included Sport Motivation Scale (SMS) and Parental Involvement Sport Questionnaire (PISQ). The player license information was collected from the Finnish Ice Hockey Association. Motivational profiles were developed using cluster analysis. In order to examine motivational differences and differences among parental involvement in clusters, the Kruskal-Wallis test was conducted. Results and conclusion. Based on cluster analysis, four different motivational subgroups were identified: 1) high amotivation, 2) low intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, 3) high intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and 4) high intrinsic motivation. The participants in group 1 were more likely to drop out from ice hockey and were less successful than the participants in other groups. When it comes to parental involvement, the participants in group 4 reported more support from parents than the participants of groups 1 and 2. The participants in group 4 also reported less pressure from parents than the participants in other groups. The present findings appear to support previous research on the role of motivation in the prediction of dropout. The current findings highlight the importance of supporting young athletes' motivation for their sport participation. It is recommended that the sport practitioners should invest more on supporting especially the development of athletes' intrinsic motivation.