A Comparative Analysis of Sport Participation Motivations of NCAA Division I Student-Athletes: An International Focus

The purpose of this study was to (a) examine the sport participation motivations of current NCAA Division I international student-athletes to participate in their college sport and (b) to compare the sport participation motivations of international student-athletes competing in the NCAA Division I with the sport participation motivations of domestic NCAA Division I student-athletes. The theoretical framework for this study is self-determination theory, which is a method for understanding human motivation that focuses on the direction of motivation and factors that influence behavior (Deci & Ryan, 1985). The continuum of motivation ranges from amotivation to extrinsic motivation to intrinsic motivation. A total of 486 student-athletes completed the Sport Motivation Scale (SMS) originally developed by Briere, Vallerand, Blais, and Pelletier (1995). Results did not demonstrate a statistically significant difference between intrinsic motivation (F=50.90; p=50.34) for domestic (M=55.37; SD=51.18) and international (M=55.49; SD=51.11) student-athletes; however, international student-athletes reported significantly higher levels of introjected regulation. The findings of this study may assist intercollegiate coaches and athletic administrators to understand how student-athletes are motivated and allow them to develop strategies that increase motivation.