Satisfaction with life in Special Olympic athletes: the role of autonomy support and basic need fulfilment

Aims: Athletes in the general population report higher satisfaction of basic needs when coaches are providing an autonomy supportive sport climate (ASSC). Our study aims at investigating whether ASSC is associated with satisfaction with life in athletes with intellectual disabilities (ID) and whether this association is mediated by basic need satisfaction. Method: During the Special Olympics World Winter Games 2017, 168 athletes with ID (M = 33.86 years; SD = 10.47) completed questionnaires measuring ASSC, basic need satisfaction (autonomy, competence, and relatedness), and satisfaction with life. Multiple linear regression analyses and mediation analyses were performed. The mediation model was controlled for the potential impact of participating in team vs. individual sports. Additionally, gender effects were explored. Results: ASSC was significantly associated with satisfaction with life (β = .38, p < .001). This association was mediated by competence (indirect effect: ab = .15; CI [.05; .32]) but not by autonomy or relatedness. No effects were found related to participating in team vs. individual sports or gender. Conclusions: Our study provides evidence that an ASSC is associated with athletes perceiving themselves as more competent and reporting more satisfaction with life.