The relationship between perceived competence of adolescent athletes an their motives for sport practice

Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between competence perception and the motives for sport practice. The sample for this descriptive research was composed of all the male athletes, within the ages from fifteen to seventeen who represented Maringá city in Paraná Youth Games, at Ponta Gossa (1992), totalizing ninety-four individuals. Each individual answered two different at questionnaires, GILL et alii (1983) and Harter (1985), respectively. The outcomes of the analysed data led to the following conclusions, the affiliation category seemed to be the most important motive for the involvement in sport practice. The differences between the motives for sport practice were best clarified by the sucess/status and affiliation variables, most significantly, however, for colective sports athletes. The perception of competence was higher for individual sports athletes tham for collective sports athletes, in behavioral and physical categories. Developing skills was the main motive for athletes with high athletic perception of competence in individual sports. Releasing energy was the most important motive to participate in collective sports for athletes with a higher perception of social competence. The sucess/status motive seemed to be the most significant for athletes with a higher scholastic perception of competence in collective sports. Body fitness was the most significant motive for the athletes with a higher physical appearence perception in collective sports, while affiliation was the most significant motive for individual sports atlhetes.