Enhancing Factors Influencing Athlete's Intention to Engage in Archery

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of motivation and coaching behavior on athletes' intentions toward participating in archery. A total of 246 archery athletes completed questionnaires assessing their attitude, intention to participate in archery, intrinsic motivation, coaching behavior, and the goal-setting process. The results revealed that athletes' intentions to dedicate themselves to training in archery were positively associated with their attitudes toward archery, high levels of enjoyment, supportive behavior of the coaches, and an appropriate goal-setting process. On the contrary, perceived pressure and negative coaching behavior were negatively correlated with the intention for systematic engagement with the sport, the attitude toward archery, motivation, and goal setting. The strongest predictors of athletes' intention to continue their engagement with the sport were attitudes toward archery, perceived behavioral control, enjoyment, and goal setting. Based on these findings, the study formulates specific suggestions for athletes and coaches.