Motivational profiles shaped by individual and environmental factors: implications for commitment in recreational team sports

This study explores the motivational dynamics behind commitment among recreational participants in team sports. A total of 323 university students involved in team sports clubs participated in the study (181 males, 142 females; Mage = 23.2). Using a person-centered approach to model joint configurations of achievement goal orientation and perceived motivational climate, we identified three distinct profiles: high task-focused (high task orientation and task-involving climate), moderately balanced (moderate task and ego orientations and climates), and highly comprehensive (high task and ego orientations and climates). Participants in the high task-focused group exhibited greater team commitment, indicating stronger emotional attachment to their teams, and relatively lower constrained commitment, suggesting that they felt less obligated or pressured to participate in sport compared to other groups. On the other hand, the highly comprehensive group reported higher levels of both enthusiastic and constrained commitment. These findings highlight the importance of fostering environments that encourage effort and mastery, which enhance both team and enthusiastic commitment and ultimately promote healthier, more sustainable sports participation. Practical insights from this research suggest that coaches and recreational sport leaders may help support adaptive commitment by promoting task-involving climates that emphasise personal growth, cooperation, and effort, while minimising excessive focus on competition or external rewards that may foster constrained forms of commitment.