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The main aim of the research was to examine the relationship between motivational orientations and parents’ behavior with regard to the players’ motivational orientation, motivational climate, enjoyment and amotivation. The sample comprised 723 athletes (M = 12.37, SD = 1.48) and 723 parents (M = 46.46, SD = 2.56). Players were male and female who belonged to federative basketball, handball, football and volleyball teams. Parents and athletes completed questionnaires that assessed motivational orientations, parents’ involvement in the practice as well as enjoyment and motivation in the sport. Results showed a positive relationship between parents’ support of the sport and players’ enjoyment and a negative relationship with players’ amotivation. Moreover, in players who perceived more pressure from their parents, there was a positive association with amotivation and a negative one with enjoyment. Lastly, it was emphasized that appropriate parental participation can promote an increase of players’ enjoyment of and motivation for sport.

Objectives: Grounded on the self-determination theory, the aim of this study was to assess the impact of perceived need support/thwarting, psychological needs satisfaction/frustration and motivation on young soccer players' sport commitment. Equipment and methods: We used a sample of 430 male soccer players (M age ¼ 14.21 years, SD ¼ 1.67 years, range ¼ 12-18 years). Results: Structural equation model analysis (2 /df ¼ 2.31; CFI ¼ 0.91, TLI ¼ 0.89, GFI ¼ 0.91, SRMR ¼ 0.03, RMSEA ¼ 0.05) showed that coach supporting style positively correlated with players' needs satisfaction, which, in turn positively predicted intrinsic motivation, which, in turn positively predicted sport commitment. On another hand, coach thwarting style positively predicted needs frustration, which positively predicted amotivation, and amotivation negatively predicted sport commitment. Conclusion: The coach-created training environment can be crucial for the satisfaction or frustration of the basic psychological needs and, as a consequence, it could play an important role in young soccer players' sport commitment.

Grounded in Self-Determination Theory, structural equation modeling (SEM) with the aim of examining how parental support/pressure could influence their children´s motivational processes in sport was conducted, as well as the models´ differences in operability regarding gender. The sample size was 321 children ranging in age from 10 to 16 years old who were athletes from Extremadura, and 321 parents (included only the father or mother more involved with the sport of his or her child). 175 participants were male and 146 were female from individual (n = 130), and team sports (n=191). A questionnaire was conducted to assess parental perception of support/pressure and another questionnaire was conducted to measure satisfaction of basic psychological needs, type of motivation and enjoyment/boredom showed by their children towards sport practice. Results revealed that parental pressure negatively predicted satisfaction of the basic psychological needs. It also emerged as a strong positive predictor of intrinsic motivation and negative predictor of amotivation. Moreover, intrinsic motivation emerged as positive predictor of enjoyment and a negative predictor of boredom, whereas amotivation positively predicted boredom and negatively predicted enjoyment. Furthermore, results showed there were mean differences by gender: male athletes perceived greater parental pressure. Hence, it is necessary to decrease parental pressure towards their children in sport, with the aim of making them more motivated and enjoy, promoting positive consequences.

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