Basic Psychological Needs, Motivation, and Physical Self-Concept Among Preadolescents in Extracurricular Sports

This study examines the extent to which participation in extracurricular sport activities (ESA) satisfies basic psychological needs (BPN) and the type of motivation generated in pre-adolescents (aged 9–12). A quantitative, cross-sectional and correlational study was conducted with 158 participants in sport activities (62 girls [39.2%] and 96 boys [60.8%]) from A Coruña, Spain, using three validated scales (Basic Psychological Needs in Exercise Scale, Perceived Locus Of Causality and Self-concept Form 5). The results indicated high scores for physical self-concept (PSC), as well as in the needs for competence and relatedness, while the need for autonomy was moderate. Autonomous motivations (intrinsic and identified) predominated over controlled ones and amotivation. Positive correlations were found between BPN satisfaction, PSC, and autonomous motivation, while the need for autonomy correlated negatively with amotivation. No gender differences were found in BPN or PSC; however, boys exhibited significantly higher levels of identified, introjected, and external regulations. Multiple regression analyses confirmed that these motivational differences were due to gender and not the type of sport practised. In conclusion, although ESA foster high PSC and autonomous motivation, there is a need to improve methodology and design programs that satisfy the need for autonomy to curb female dropout rates.