| The purpose of this study was to explore the degree to which intercollegiate athletes were intrinsically motivated to participate in their sport. Assessing the nature and quality of intrinsic motivation with respect to participation in athletics, may help in understanding the athlete's perception of sport participation as leisure.;Athletes (N= 146) from two Midwestern colleges completed the Sport Motivation Scale which assessed the three subscales of intrinsic motivation, which included the following: (1) intrinsic motivation to know (IMTK alpha = .86), (2) intrinsic motivation toward accomplishments (IMTA alpha = .80), and (3) intrinsic motivation to experience stimulation (IMTES alpha = .77).;ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc analyses revealed that (a) Division I athletes had statistically higher levels of IMTK and IMTA than Division III athletes, (b) Division I, non-funded athletes had statistically higher levels of IMTK and IMTA than Division III, non-funded athletes, and (c) no gender differences exist. |
