A conditional process analysis of general self-esteem in student-athletes in lower secondary sport schools

Objective: Specialised sport schools at the lower secondary level aim to support the holistic development of young athletes. Consequently, understanding how to influence student-athletes' self-perceptions both inside and outside of the sporting context is of interest. Grounded in Achievement goal theory, this study examined whether achievement goal orientations were related to self-esteem, both directly and indirectly through perceived sport performance. Additionally, we investigated whether athletic identity moderated the indirect relationship between achievement goal orientations and self-esteem. Methods: The sample comprised 579 student-athletes aged 12 to 16 years (Mage = 13.93; SD = 0.85), recruited from seven Norwegian lower secondary sport schools. All participants responded to items concerning their general self-esteem, goal orientations, perceived performance and athletic identity. Results: Regression analyses revealed that athletes' achievement goal orientations were directly and indirectly (via perceived performance) related to their self-esteem. However, athletic identity did not moderate the indirect relationship. Conclusion: Overall, the findings suggest that student-athletes who view success as doing their very best tend to be more satisfied with their own sport performance and experience higher self-esteem. Conversely, athletes who view success as being the best are generally less satisfied with their performance and report lower self-esteem. Notably, these relationships do not appear to be stronger in athletes with a stronger identification with their athlete role.