RELATIONSHIP OF THE MOTIVATIONAL CLIMATE GENERATED BY THE COACH AND THE CAUSES OF SUCCESS IN TEAM SPORTS PLAYERS. INFLUENCE OF GENDER, AGE AND SPORT EXPERIENCE

The aim of the present study was to analyze the differences in the perception that the players of different team sports have about the motivational climate and the beliefs about the causes of success in the sport, in order to gender, age and years of sport's experience. In this study participated 239 federated players with ages between 12 and 44 years. Measure instruments were the Perceived Motivational Climate in Sport Questionnaire and Beliefs about the Causes of Success in Sport Questionnaire. The results revealed that athletes claim to perceive a greater mastery climate and believe that the main cause for success is effort. Women showed higher levels of mastery and effort than men, showing men higher values in the execution climate, capacity and deception techniques than women. The youngest players were the ones with the highest levels of mastery and effort perceived. Players with more sports experience perceived a major execution climate and a greater belief in the causes of success based on ability and techniques of deception than the more inexperienced. These findings may provide useful information for coaches, to better design training focused to mastery climate according to players' characteristics.