Biatlonininkų motyvacijos ypatumai siekiant sportinės karjeros

The aim of the study was to show young Lithuanian biathletes’ motivation particularities while pursuing career in sport. The subjects of the study were 16—20 year-old Lithuanian biathletes characterised by different sport mastery motivation particularities and distinctions while pursuing career in sport. The study tried to prove or to deny the hypothesis that more progressed biathletes were being more motivated by intrinsic rather than extrinsic motivation. The research was performed in 2008 during a competition season. Using a questionnaire 29 Lithuanian biathletes of different sport mastery and of the age from 16 to 20 years were interviewed. 12 of them were members of the Lithuanian national team and 17 athletes were with fewer merits. The interviewed individuals almost matched their population. The questionnaire consisted of two parts — the fi rst one was an adapted (tested in a pilot study) sports career questionnaire (Стамбулова, 1999), which tried to answer why the athletes chose biathlon sports in particular and their sport activity environment. In the second part we tried to research athletes’ motivation according to approved in Lithuania (Grajauskas, 2008) Sport Motivation Scale (The Sport Motivation Scale, SMS; Pelletier et al., 1995). It was established, that the main reasons for choosing biathlon was the person’s intrinsic knowledge motives (desire to acquire techniques) and educational motives (encouragement by parents or coach). The research data shows, that Lithuanian biathletes have more intrinsic than extrinsic motivation. The most prominent group of motives is associated with the aim to experience. A tendency is observed that less experienced athletes are more affected by external regulation than the ones with more experience. Amotivation is more observed on the most experienced ones, and less on the inexperienced athletes. The study diagnosed the most important motives for the experienced athletes stimulus of intrinsic knowledge and pursuit of perfection (intrinsic motivation — to know; intrinsic motivation — seek perfection). For less progressed athletes intrinsic motives to experience are more typical.