Age-related differences in inter- and intrapersonal variables related to motivation in a group sport setting

Age-related differences in perceived competence, perceived control, and anxiety among 10- to 11-year-old boys and 12- to 13-year-old boys who participated in an American Youth Soccer Organization league were examined. Coaching behaviors thought to be related to these intrapersonal variables were also assessed, and the differences between the coaches in the two divisions were evaluated. There were no age-related differences in perceived competence. The children in the younger division endorsed both external perceptions of control and internal attributions for success more strongly than the older children did. The younger children in each division exhibited significantly more anxiety than their older teammates did, although there were no significant across-division effects. All the coaches exhibited more instructive behaviors than encouragement, and more individual-directed behaviors than team-direction behaviors, but the proportions of both instruction and individual-directed behaviors were relatively higher for the coaches in the older division than they were for the coaches in the younger division.