The Impact of Intrinsic Motivation on the Achievement of High School Football Athletes

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the impact of intrinsic motivation on the performance achievement of high-school football athletes. A quantitative correlational design was employed involving N = 120 male athletes aged 15–18 years from three secondary schools in (city/region). Participants were selected via purposive sampling criteria: engaged in regular training (>3 sessions/week) and competed in school league during the last season. Data collection used a validated Intrinsic Motivation in Sport Scale (IMS, 20 items, Cronbach’s α = 0.87) and a performance achievement record (goals, assists, coach evaluation) from the season. Data were analysed using Pearson correlation and multiple regression to test the hypothesis that higher intrinsic motivation predicts better athletic performance. The findings show a significant positive relationship (r = 0.52, p < 0.01) and regression results indicate intrinsic motivation accounted for 27 % of variance in performance (β = 0.52, p < 0.001). The study concludes that intrinsic motivation is a meaningful predictor of school-level football performance. It is recommended that coaches and educators foster autonomy, mastery experiences, and enjoyment to enhance athletes’ intrinsic motivation and thereby performance