Motivational Factors for Student Participation in Collegiate Club Sports at Indiana University

1. Motivational Factors for Student Participation in Collegiate Club Sports at Indiana University Ben Smith

2. Collegiate Club Sports • Indiana University’s Division of Recreational Sports (2007) define a club sport as a • “group of individuals who meet regularly to pursue an interest in a particular sport activity. The organization of the club may be structured or casual. Each club is developed, governed, and administered by the student membership of that particular club”

3. Introduction • Club vs. Other Recreational Sport Programs • Motivation vs. Benefit Based Outcomes • Exploratory study to establish reliability of instrument

4. Research Statement • Examine motivational factors among participants in collegiate club sports at Indiana University during the 2007-2008 school year. • Why only club members?

5. Purpose and Justification of Study • Build upon limited research on collegiate club sports • Help campus recreational sport professionals better cater to the needs of club participants • Shed light on how club sports are an important component in students’ college experience • Aid in future developments of campus club sport operations

6. Selection of Subjects • All registered club sport students at Indiana University during the 2007-2008 school year (approximately 1,400 members in 44 club sports) • Faculty, staff, and community members were also used in this study

7. Data Collection • Permission from the Director of Club Sports in the Division of Recreational Sports at Indiana University to contact members via email • Presented the study briefly to Club Sport Federation • Set of emails that include a link to an online questionnaire • Surveymonkey

8. Measuring Motivations • Leisure Motivation Scale (Beard & Ragheb, 1983) • Psychological and sociological reasons for participating in leisure activities. • 4 sub-areas measured: • Intellectual • Social • Competence-mastery • Stimulus-avoidance • Highest score = primary motivational factor • Lowest score = factors they may avoid when participating • 5 point Likert Scale

9. Sub-Areas • Intellectual • Learning, using logic, strategizing, creating • Social • Meaningful relationships (friendships), esteem of others • Competence-mastery • Need to compete, master skills, challenge, status level • Stimulus-avoidance • Seek mental and physical relaxation, escape factors of daily life

10. Leisure Motivation Scale Club Sports • One of my reasons for participating in my club sport is… __ 1. to expand my interests • __ 2. to seek stimulation • __ 3. to make my college experience more meaningful for me • __ 4. to learn about things around me • __ 5. to satisfy my curiosity • __ 6. to explore my knowledge • __ 7. to learn about myself • __ 8. to expand my knowledge • __ 9. to discover new things • __ 10. to be creative • __ 11. to be original • __ 12. to use my imagination • __ 13. to be with others • __ 14. to build friendships with others • __ 15. to interact with others • __ 16. to develop close friendships • __ 17. to meet new and different people • __ 18. to help others • __ 19. so others will think well of me for doing it • __ 20. to reveal my thoughts, feelings, or physical skills to others • __ 21. to influence others • __ 22. to be socially competent and skillful • __ 23. to gain a feeling of belonging • __ 24. to gain other’s respect • __ 25. to obtain feeling of achievement • __ 26. to see what my abilities are • __ 27. to challenge my abilities • __ 28. because I enjoy mastering things • __ 29. to be good at the sport • __ 30. to improve skill and ability in the sport • __ 31. to compete against others • __ 32. to be active • __ 33. to develop physical skills and abilities • __ 34. to keep in shape physically • __ 35. to use my physical abilities • __ 36. to develop my physical fitness • __ 37. to be in a calm atmosphere • __ 38. to get away from my regular routine • __ 39. to escape and get a change of pace • __ 40. to seek solitude • __ 41. to relax physically • __ 42. to relax mentally • __ 43. to avoid the hustle and bustle of daily activities • __ 44. to refresh, re-create • __ 45. to relieve stress and tension • __ 46. to do something simple and easy • __ 47. to unstructure my time • __ 48. to get away from the responsibilities of my everyday life

11. Hypotheses • Subjects participating in club sports have motivational factors that will not differ depending on various demographics (e.g. gender, class standing, number of years participating, etc.). • Subjects will not report intellectually motivating factors for participating in club sports. • Subjects will not report socially motivating factors for participating in club sports. • Subjects will not report competence-mastery motivating factors for participating in club sports. • Subjects will not report stimulus-avoidance motivating factors for participating in club sports.

12. Response • 1,366 club sport participants were contacted • 282 went beyond study information sheet • 229 completed 80.6% of the study • 18.6% of all participants completed survey enough to analyze motivational factors • Not all provided responses to every statement

13. Response • 7 of 44 clubs did not have at least 1 person participate in study • Highest response rate = Swim Club (N=30) • Men’s Lacrosse (N=15) • Taekwondo (N=13) • Men’s Ultimate Frisbee (N=12) • Equestrian (N=12) • Ballroom Dance (N=12) • 2-3/week 42.6% (N=98) • 4-5/week 32.2% (N = 74) • 74.8% participate more than twice a week

14. Class Standing and Gender Class StandingFrequencyPercent • Freshmen 96 22.8 • Sophomore 47 21.0 • Junior 48 21.4 • Senior 28 12.5 • Graduate 39 17.4 • Faculty/Staff 8 3.6 • Community Member 3 1.3 • Total 269 100.0 • Males: 57.1% (N=128) Females: 42.9% (N=96)

15. Data Analysis • Descriptive statistics – trends • ANOVA – compared means among demographic items (class standing and gender) • Tukey’s HSD – pinpointed where the significance lay specifically

16. Hypothesis Testing • Each of the 5 hypotheses were rejected as significance was found either among class standing, gender, or both.

17. Intellectual Motivation and Class Standing • 5 significant statements among 7 class standings • 7 with ANOVA, 5 after more rigorous Tukey’s HSD • All significance =Undergraduate v. Graduate Students • S1. To expand my interest • S3. To make my college experiences more meaningful for me • S9. To discover new things • S10. To be creative • S11. To be original

18. Significance • Graduate students have already been through the college experience • Undergraduates focused on getting the most out of their time in college – well rounded • Graduate students may only participate in the sports they already are familiar with • Low creativity factor = Graduate students not concerned with creativity. More focus on studies

19. Social Motivations and Class Standing • 9 significant statements • Undergraduate v. Graduate (17 instances) Faculty/Staff (3 instances) • S13. To be with others • S16. To develop close relationships • S17. To meet new and different people • S18. To help others • S20. To reveal my thoughts, feelings, or physical skills to others • S21. To influence others • S22. To be socially competent and skillful • S23. To gain a feeling of belonging • S24. To gain others respects

20. Significance • Sub-area with most significant statements • “To be with others” = Graduate low score compared to undergrad but higher than all intellectual statements. • “Relationships” = priority during first years in college – Graduate students have different focus • “New and different people” = Small importance for Faculty/Staff – always new poeple

21. Significance • “Belonging” and “Influence” (Juniors v. Grad) = more office positions once a team veteran What benefits are gained? 89.2% (N=199/223) “socializing” 88.8% (N=198/223) “meeting new people”

22. Competence-Mastery and Class Standing • 6 significant statements • Highest overall means of sub-areas • To obtain feeling of achievement (M=4.104, SD.945) • To Challenge what my abilities are (M=4.484, SD .724) • To be good at the sport (M=4.365, SD .886) • To compete against others (M=3.659, SD 1.312) • To keep in shape physically (M=4.608, SD .764) • To use my physical abilities (M=4.52, SD .81)

23. Competence-Mastery and Class Standing

24. Trends • “To compete against others” = lowest score for all class standings. • Drop from Freshman – Community Member • As classes mature, less motivated to prove their abilities (“obtaining achievement”, “good at sport”) • “Develop physical abilities” = no significance • All classes above 4.0 (often true)

25. Stimulus-Avoidanceand Class Standing No statements with significance Lowest overall mean score of sub-area (M=2.52) Trends “To seek solitude” = lowest score in all classes but CM “Calm atmosphere”, “relax physically”, “simple and easy” all reported as “seldom true” “Relieve stress and tension” highest overall mean in this sub-area

26. Intellectual Motivationand Gender • 1 significant statement • S10. To be Creative (F=4.275, p<.05) • Higher overall scores reported by females for all statements = More motivated by intellectual components • Both gender reported above 4.29 • S2. To seek Stimulation • S3. To make my college experience more meaningful for me

27. Social Motivationand Gender • Females tend to be more social. Connect with others • Males participate for reasons related to self • Females participate for wider variety of reasons • Open ended question - Liked most? Social motivations • 7 of 12 statements with significance • “be with others”, “build friendships”, • “interact with others”

28. Competence-Masteryand Gender • No Significance • Males reported higher overall mean than Females • “Skill Development” = 3rd response behind social motivations • Only chance to play at higher competition level • Sports not offered at varsity level at IU: • Men’s Lacrosse • Men’s Waterpolo • Ice Hockey • Men’s Volleyball

29. Stimulus-Avoidanceand Gender • 7 of 12 significant statements • Relation to Intellectual Motivations for Females • Relax and escape academic pressures • Similar trends for both • Not alone • Challenging and organized • Stress reduction

30. Findings • Competence-Mastery: Highest motivation for participation (M = 4.40) • Not necessarily competition (only statement below 4.0) • Important but not main focus • Improving person skill, training opportunities • Being active in sport • Stimulus-Avoidance: Not a motivator (M = 3.19) • Opposite - higher social responses (M = 3.60)

31. Considerations • Skill training sessions • Regular active practices • Challenging drills/sets (pushing limits) • Social environments among club time and beyond • Women more motivated by intellect challenges and gaining knowledge through sport

32. Beard, J. G., & Ragheb, M. G. (1983). The leisure motivation scale. Journal of Leisure Research, 15 (3), 219-228.