This study aims to reveal the peculiarities of the motivation to do sports of young badminton players of Lithuania. The survey was conducted in March and April 2021, and was attended by 206 young badminton players aged 11 to 17. Young badminton players were divided into groups according to their age, gender, and athletic excellence. To evaluate the motivation to do sports of young badminton players, the Sport Motivation Scale (Pelletier et al., 1995) approved in Lithuania was employed (Grajauskas, 2008). The Student’s t-test and one-way analysis of variance (Anova) with post hoc comparisons (Games-Howell post hoc test, which assumes unequal variance between groups) were employed to determine the reliability of differences between groups. The data were analyzed by applying SPSS 25.0 (Statistical Package for Social Sciences). Results of the study revealed that, in case of evaluating expression of young badminton players’ motives in the five point scale, intrinsic motivation is more expressed than the extrinsic. It was found that boys who play badminton have less motives of intrinsic motivation than girls: girls are more encouraged than boys to do sports by their intrinsic motivation to “know” (p < 0.01) and were more in agreement with the statements of intrinsic motivation to “strive for perfection” and “experience” subscales (p < 0.05). More advanced young badminton players have higher expression levels of intrinsic motivation “to know” (p < 0.01), “strive for perfection” (p < 0.05) and “experience” (p < 0.01) than less advanced athletes. It was found that less advanced young badminton players have better expressed amotivation (p < 0.01), they are more dependent on “direct external regulation” (p < 0.05) and have higher expression level of extrinsic motivation to “identify” (p < 0.05) than more advanced athletes. [...]

The purpose of this study – to reveal the peculiarities of the motivation to do sports of adolescent (12– 15 year old) athletes. Applying the research method of the questionnaire survey, 111 adolescents aged 12 to 15 in individual and team sports were interviewed. The survey was conducted in March and April 2020. To evaluate the motivation to do sports of adolescent athletes (12–15 year old) – the sports motivation scale (Pelletier et al., 1995) approved in Lithuania was employed (Grajauskas, 2008). The Mann-Whitney U criterion was used to determine the reliability of differences between groups. The data were analyzed by applying SPSS 17.0 (Statistical Package for Social Sciences). The results of the study revealed that the highest level of intrinsic motivation was expressed in adolescent athletes (12–15 years). Motivation to know (3.92 ± 0.91 points) and experience (3.94 ± 0.85 points) most occured while motivation due to an unconscious decision, external regulation (3.76 ± 0.73 points) is less occuring. Amotivation (1.79 ± 0.72 points) and motivation of direct external regulation (2.94 ± 0.82 points) are the least occuring. There is a strong relationship between motivation to experience and motivation to learn (r = 0.793) and between direct external regulation and motivation to identify (r = 0.641). The weakest relationship was between direct external regulation and motivation to learn (r = 0.211). Boys are significantly more amotivated to do sports than girls (p < 0.05). Motivation to identify and identify is significantly higher in adolescents playing team sports than in adolescents playing individual sports (p < 0.05).