Youth athletes' sustained involvement in elite sport: An exploratory examination of elements affecting their athletic participation

Abstract

In this exploratory study, we first intended to identify the underlying structure of components affecting the sport participation of 1258 elite youth athletes from the USA through a principal component analysis of 23 items related to motives and barriers to participation and created for this study. A six-component solution was proposed, including college and professional aspirations and competence beliefs, coach and peer relationships, pressures from parents and coach, intrinsic and self-determined extrinsic motivation, external barriers, and non-self-determined extrinsic motivation. Noteworthy differences by age, gender, and race on those retained components were also reported. Lastly, results of hierarchical regression analyses indicated that 28% of the variance in sport enjoyment was explained by all retained components. Given the rapid growth of travel teams, this study provides a timely cross-sectional and multisport assessment of the state of elite youth sport in the USA. In consideration of optimistic outcomes observed in this study compared to alarming attrition trends commonly found in the elite youth sport environment, this study may serve as a reference as to the elements that influence sustained participation that is indispensable in today's youth sport landscape. Results also provided important theoretical contributions with respect to motivational processes underlying elite sport participation. Practical implications with regards to the influence of intrapersonal, interpersonal, and barrier elements on elite sport participation are also presented.

Adolescent Athletes’ Perceptions of Both Their Coachs’ Leadership and Their Personal Motivation

“…Comparing athletes of different genders, women have tended to score higher on intrinsic motivation and lower on extrinsic regulation than men (Amorose & Horn, 2001;Chantal et al, 1996;Duda et al, 1995;Pelletier et al, 1995;Petherick & Weigand 2002). Further, some studies have found that men achieved higher external regulation and amotivation than women (Nuñez et al, 2006;Wendling et al, 2018). Concerning the athletes' sport skill level, self-determination theory suggests that elite level athletes are more self-determined than recreational athletes (Mallett & Hanrahan, 2004).…”

Examining the Youth Multi-Sport Event Environment: Implications towards athlete development and transitioning

“…TPB also highlights that subjective norms are an essential component of intention, and that social factors such as parents' and coaches' influences are important determinants of intention to continue sport (Gucciardi & Jackson, 2015). Various studies have found that the relationship between motivational factors and sport continuation in the youth sport context is influenced by the type of support and pressures from parents, coaches, and peers (e.g., Jõesaar, Hein, & Hagger, 2011;Wendling, Flaherty, Sagas, & Kaplanidou, 2018). Wendling et al (2018) noted that when young people view participation in sport as more autonomous, their chances of sustaining involvement in sport increase.…”

“…Various studies have found that the relationship between motivational factors and sport continuation in the youth sport context is influenced by the type of support and pressures from parents, coaches, and peers (e.g., Jõesaar, Hein, & Hagger, 2011;Wendling, Flaherty, Sagas, & Kaplanidou, 2018). Wendling et al (2018) noted that when young people view participation in sport as more autonomous, their chances of sustaining involvement in sport increase. This is in line with what Ryan and Deci (2000) advanced within Self-Determination Theory (SDT).…”

Shifting the Paradigm: A Constructivist Analysis of Agency and Structure in Sustained Youth Sport Participation

“…While attrition rates have historically been highest in the adolescent years, macro-level research indicates that attrition rates among adolescents have been exacerbated by elevated competitive intensity, exclusivity, and early immersion in youth sport environments (Witt and Dangi, 2018 ; Aspen Institute, 2019 ). In contrast, motivation research, generally positioned in a post-positivist research paradigm, has generated a body of knowledge around how a youth sport climate in which the objectives of winning and early success supersede objectives around age-appropriate psychological, psychosocial, and physical development detract from youths' motivation to sustain participation (Petitpas et al, 2005 ; Wendling et al, 2018 ; Bateman et al, 2020 ).…”

“…The predominance of research on supporting youth sport participation has centered on youths' motivation to participate in sport and the perceived benefits of participation. Among the primary motives to participate that youth identify are: (a) to have fun, (b) to be with friends, (c) to get exercise, and (d) for the excitement or challenge of competition (Fraser-Thomas et al, 2005 ; Balish et al, 2014 ; Wendling et al, 2018 ). Youth's motives for sport participation were derived from analyses primarily grounded in theory that is situated in a post-positive paradigm, such as Ryan and Deci's (2000) Self Determination Theory (SDT) of motivation and personality, in which micro-level processes are quantifiable determinants of motivation (Balaguer et al, 2017 ; Gould, 2019 ).…”