Features of Sport Achievement Motivation in Youth Football Players

Abstract

<p style="text-align: justify;">The article presents the review of foreign publications on peculiarities of achievement motivation in young football players. Sport motivation is examined within the framework of the theory of self-determination. External and internal motivations and their typical for teenage players forms are highlighted. The review denotes that motivation varies depending on the age and skills of juniors, becoming less autonomous in early adolescence, and more autonomous as skills are acquired. The importance of the influence of social agents (parents, peers, coach) on the formation and increase of the level of internal motivation of football players is demonstrated. There is a connection between the motivational climate, encouraged by the coach and parents, and getting pleasure from training and competitions, the formation of perseverance and purposefulness, as well as efficiency in setting goals and completing tasks. The importance of age-related psychological and physiological characteristics of players is also emphasized, since the use of only external stimuli (punishment and encouragement) instead of the development of internal motivation can lead to negative consequences and unwillingness to engage in this sport in the future. The conclusion is made about the importance of a comprehensive study of motivationally significant influence on the part of coaches, parents and peers at different stages of age development of young football players.</p>