Race Against Time: How the Autonomy Needs of Adult Rowers of Different Ages Are Met and the Impact of Coaching

This study explored whether adult rowers' autonomy needs are differently met according to their age and how coaching status impacts on any differences. The numbers of older athletes motivated to engage in sport substantially lag behind their younger counterparts. Self-determination theory suggests that motivation is underpinned by three universal, basic psychological needs: competence, relatedness and autonomy. Utilising a cross-sectional design, 839 rowers aged 18-88 years old, predominantly from the United States of America, United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, were surveyed using the Psychological Need States in Sport Scale to assess how their autonomy needs were met. Two-way ANOVA established that autonomy satisfaction (AS) increases, and autonomy frustration (AF) decreases as adult rowers age. Coaching was found to reduce AS and increase AF, but there was no significant interaction between age and coaching. This is the first study to establish that coaching both reduces AS and that older athletes have their autonomy needs better fulfiled than their younger adult counterparts. Conclusions draw on psychosocial theory to interpret why older athletes' autonomy needs may be less affected by exposure to autonomy-frustrating environments. Current calls to make older athletes a special case by disproportionately providing more adult-oriented coaching are challenged. Instead, it is posited that social factors, particularly higher tolerance of autonomy-frustrating coaching styles for younger adult rowers, may mask ageism conventions that favour older athletes. Findings prompt recommendations for further research into how coaching interactions are constructed for athletes of different ages and their impact on AS and AF.