Conjointly-created parent and coach motivational climate profiles: Adolescent athletes' goal orientations, enjoyment,...

Although research has examined motivational climates individually, they do not occur in isolation. Thus, the current study used latent profile analysis to identify conjointly-created parent and coach motivational climate profiles and examined how athletes in these profiles differed in goal orientations, enjoyment, and stress. Adolescent athletes (N = 347; 64.6% female; M_age = 12.5, SD = 1.1) completed questionnaires assessing parent- and coach-initiated motivational climates, goal orientations, enjoyment, and stress. Latent profile analysis identified five motivational climate profiles that differed significantly in goal orientations, enjoyment, and/or stress. Athletes in two profiles (i.e., Mastery Dominant, Mastery Dominant/Performance De-Emphasized) perceived that their parents and coaches created climates that were more mastery-involved than performance-involved. Athletes in the Undifferentiated profile did not perceive distinct mastery or performance climates from either parents or coaches. The Mastery De-Emphasized/Performance Leaning profile was characterized by perceptions of climates that were more performance-involving than mastery-involving from both social agents. Athletes in the Dual Mastery and Performance profile perceived mastery and performance climates from both parents and coaches. When athletes perceived climates that were predominantly mastery-involving, they reported more adaptive outcomes (e.g., task orientations, high enjoyment, low stress). When athletes perceived climates that were predominately performance-involving, they reported more maladaptive outcomes (e.g., ego orientations, low enjoyment, high stress). Notably, when athletes perceived mastery and performance climates from both social agents, they reported both adaptive and maladaptive outcomes. This study provides insight into the conjoint influence of parents and coaches on athlete experiences during a critical transition period in adolescence.