Motivational climate in a team handball players

Abstract

The motivational orientation of an athlete aims to improve their skills (task) and getting a good result in a given competition (ego). Thus, the purpose of the present study was to compare players of one Portuguese team handball club. The independent variables were: competitive levels, years as competitors, time presence as player in the club and competitive position. The dependent variables were motivational orientations: task and ego. The sample consisted of 57 male athletes borne between 1977 and 1997. The Task and Ego Orientation Questionnaire in Sport (TEOSQp), validated by Fernandes and Vasconcelos-Raposo (2010) was used. Results revealed that the handball players in the club studied present high scores on both task and ego orientation with a higher score at the level of task orientation. The present results are not in accordance with previous studies. However they do not contradict consolidated theoretical proposal. Senior athletes presented higher scores in task orientation and lower on ego.  Comparisons by years in competition, time presence in the club and competitive position in the do influence significantly the motivational orientation among this club team handball players.