Expectations and Evaluation of Volunteers’ Experience at the Paralympic Swimming European Championship

Abstract The high rate of young athletes dropping out of sports encourages researchers to understand the causes of this phenomenon and analyse the factors that can increase the retention of young athletes in sports. Engagement is associated with more positive outcomes, and lower risks of dropping out of the sport and burnout. Therefore, studying engagement can provide deeper insights into young people’s behaviour in sports. Youth sports coaches have a significant influence on shaping young athletes’ experiences and fostering their positive development. Studies highlight the impact of coach behaviour and the quality of athlete-coach interactions on athlete engagement. Research on young athletes’ perceptions of coaching effectiveness can enhance coaching practices and boost athlete engagement. This study investigated young volleyball players’ engagement in sport, perceived coaching effectiveness, and links between the components. The study sample included 317 volleyball players between the ages of 12 and 19. Data were gathered through an anonymous questionnaire survey. The results revealed that athlete engagement has a weak statistically significant correlation with perceived coaching effectiveness. There were no significant differences in sports engagement variables regarding age and sex, except females reported higher scores in the variable Dedication to sport compared to males. Finally, female athletes rated significantly higher on overall coaching effectiveness and motivation compared to male athletes. Younger athletes scored substantially higher in motivation compared to older athletes. Also, athletes aged 12–14 years rated significantly higher on overall coaching effectiveness compared to athletes aged 17-19 years.