The Relationship of High School Athletes’ Goal Orientations, and Perceptions of the Climate to Their Mindful Engagement in Sport

This pair of studies examined the mediational role of high school athletes’ mindful engagement in sport, in the relationship between their goal orientations and perceptions of the motivational climate on their teams to select motivational outcomes. Study 1 was designed to test the mediational effect of high school male athletes’ mindful engagement in sport in the relationship between their perceptions of a caring, task-, and ego-involving climate to their coachability, and future desire to participate. Correlation analysis revealed that perceptions of a caring and task-involving climate were positively and significantly associated with mindful engagement, coachability, and future desire to participate. The final mediation model results suggest that high school male athletes’ mindful engagement mediates the relationship between climate (i.e., caring and task-involving climate) to coachability. Their coachability was negatively and directly predicted by the perceptions of an ego-involving climate. Study 2 examined two objectives: a) a moderation effect of task orientation in the predictive relationship of ego orientation to mindful engagement. b) the mediational role of high school female soccer athletes’ mindful engagement in the relationship between their perceptions of a caring/task-involving climate and task orientation to their practice strategy use and ability to peak under pressure. Results of correlation analysis revealed that a task-involving climate and task orientation were positively associated with mindful engagement, practice strategy use, and peaking under pressure. Perceptions of a caring climate were only positively correlated to mindful engagement. The final mediation model results suggest that both high school female soccer athletes’ mindful engagement and practice strategy use mediate the relationship of their perceptions of a caring/task-involving climate and goal orientations to their ability to peak under pressure. Results suggests that coaches’ efforts to create a positive and supportive climate in sport may help athletes be more mindfully engaged in their sport, and thus experience more positive outcomes