The role of achievement goals and motivational climates in understanding youth athlete emotions: A study with youth team players

Youth sports can enhance adolescents’ well-being, but their impact depends on factors such as achievement goals and perceived motivational climate. This study examined the relationship between achievement goals (task/ego) and perceived motivational climate (task, performance, mistakes) with the emotional states of fear of failure and anxiety. Six hundred eighty-five male adolescent team sport players, aged between 10 and 16, completed questionnaires assessing the targeted variables. Correlational, canonical, and regression analyses revealed that task orientation and a perceived task-involvement climate were generally associated with lower levels of fear of failure and anxiety. Conversely, ego orientation and a perceived ego-oriented climate (performance - or mistakes-focused) were linked to higher levels of these emotional states. The findings highlight the importance of considering motivational climates and achievement goals in youth sports to understand better how participation influences young athletes’ emotional well-being.