Case Study:
Team Athletes
Motives
For the team player, an important motive for participating in sport was the opportunity to
socialise with others. This motive seemed to be best achieved at clubs rather than school, for
there was less opportunity to play team sport in school. Thus, young people participating in
team sport identified socialisation as an inherent part of their athletic experience. Specifically,
they acknowledged that their friendships would not have formed if they were not participating
in their team sport.
Autonomy
An important aspect of autonomy for the team player was having ownership of one’s individual
and group performance. Some players felt that taking responsibility was essential when
training together as a squad, since it created an environment where everyone was
accountable for success and failure. Similarly, it was believed that taking ownership in this
manner increased player / team commitment and ultimately performance, by strengthening
adherence to group roles and norms.
Motivated team players appeared to develop ownership of performance in partnership with
the coach. They desired input into the team, and felt it appropriate to be able to approach the
coach and challenge their tactics constructively in a way that would benefit the team. A specific
situation where ownership of performance was important for effective team players was after
a loss. Accordingly, the best motivational experience for young people participating in team
sport was when the players collectively took ownership, though accepted that the coach held
overall responsibility for the team.
University of Gloucestershire (2015) Self-Determination Theory and Young People, sports coach UK
Competence
For the team player, perceptions of competence were significantly influenced by the source of
feedback. They received feedback from a variety of sources including teammates, coaches,
friends, and family. Yet, to bolster their competence, it was critical that the source of feedback
matched their individual preference. To illustrate, in the same sporting context, one athlete
preferred feedback from the coach because his perception was that the coach was the main
leader, whilst another felt feedback from teammates was more valuable. Consequently, to
offer quality feedback to a team player and to positively influence perceptions of competence,
individualized consideration was of upmost importance.
Relatedness
Relatedness was a particularly important psychological need for the team athlete. The need
for relatedness was fulfilled for the majority by socialising with teammates and building
personal connections. When relatedness was not fulfilled, there was a craving for this
psychological need since it was perceived to lead to increased trust. Thus, if team athletes felt
that if they knew everyone in the team and were confident around them, they would enjoy
participating in the sport more, and would ultimately perform better. Interestingly, many team
athletes also believed that if they had a better sense of relatedness, they would work harder
for the team for they would feel a sense of pride and commitment to the players.
A notable feature of relatedness for the team player was the creation of a team / group identity.
This characteristic typically emerged from taking ownership of progression and performances,
and establishing / monitoring their own group roles and norms. In addition, athletes
participating in team sport suggested group discussions, particularly when things were going
wrong, helped them feel more like a team. A vital contributing factor to team / group identity
was the possession of shared goals. These were particularly motivating especially if set and
University of Gloucestershire (2015) Self-Determination Theory and Young People, sports coach UK
managed by the players themselves.
Barriers
The main barriers for participating in team sport revolve around cost and access to facilities.
Whilst there appears appropriate level of playing facilities for traditional team sports, this was
not the case for other marginalised sports (e.g., waterpolo). Nor were there considered to be
adequate strength and conditioning facilities to support team sport participation. Moreover,
access to team sport within schools (particularly state schools) was also considered a limiting
participating factor. As with all young athletes, the team players were required to balance
educational demands alongside sporting commitments, which also acted as a barrier. Finally,
the reliance on team mates to regularly attend training to ensure progression of performances,
acted as a barrier in some cases.
University of Gloucestershire (2015) Self-Determination Theory and Young People, sports coach UK