The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted mobility worldwide. As a corollary,
the health of top- and lower-level athletes alike is profoundly reliant on movement
and exercise. Thus, the aim of this study is to understand impacts of the COVID-19
pandemic lockdown on athletes’ motivation to exercise and train. In detail, we aim to
better understand who (i.e., demographic, sport-specific, and psychological state and
trait variables) reported a change in motivation to train due to the lockdown, why they
reported lower motivation (i.e., open-ended questions on problems), what they did to
help themselves, what support they received from others, and what they are looking
forward to after the lockdown (i.e., open questions). Questionnaire data and answers to
these open-ended questions were assessed via an online questionnaire, completed by
95 amateur and recreational athletes during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Germany
(April to mid-May 2020). Results show that greater numbers of female athletes are
less motivated to train in comparison to male athletes (p = 0.029). No differences in
motivation were found regarding type of sport (individual vs. team sport) and number of
competitions during the year. Also, more motivated to train amateur and recreational
athletes showed lower athletic identity than athletes who reported no change in
motivation to exercise during the lockdown (p = 0.03). Additionally, differences in state
emotional, perceived stress, and personality variables (i.e., orientation to happiness,
volition) were found between athletes who stated that they were less motivated to train
compared to athletes who reported no changes in motivation. In particular, closure of
sports facilities and social distancing measures were perceived to be highly problematic.
Even though athletes received emotional support, organized themselves via routines and
schedules, and trained using online tools, they predominately stated that they wished
that their coaches would have supported them more. Understanding the impacts of
a pandemic-related lockdown on athletes’ motivation, athletes’ coping strategies, and
their desired support will help better support them in future crises.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:DRESDEN/oai:qucosa:de:qucosa:84445 |
| Date | 31 March 2023 |
| Creators | Lautenbach, Franziska, Leisterer, Sascha, Walter, Nadja, Kronenberg, Lara, Manges, Theresa, Leis, Oliver, Pelikan, Vincent, Gebhardt, Sabrina, Elbe, Anne-Marie |
| Publisher | Frontiers Research Foundation |
| Source Sets | Hochschulschriftenserver (HSSS) der SLUB Dresden |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion, doc-type:article, info:eu-repo/semantics/article, doc-type:Text |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
| Relation | 1664-1078, 611658 |
Page generated in 0.0017 seconds