Goal orientations, beliefs about success, and performance improvement among young elite Dutch soccer players

Extending past work testing goal perspective theory in sport, one purpose of this study was to examine, via a longitudinal design, the relationship of goal orientations to the beliefs about the causes of success in the case of elite male Dutch soccer players. A second purpose was to determine the relationship of goals and beliefs to ratings of performance. Seventy-five male pupils representing five teams from an internationally renowned soccer school in The Netherlands completed the TEOSQ and a measure of their perceptions of the determinants of success in soccer at the onset and conclusion of one season. Assessments of the coaches' appraisal and athletes' self-reported performance in soccer were carried out at the same time. In line with other studies, a positive association between ego orientation and the belief that ability or innate talent are determinants of success was revealed. Task orientation was linked to the beliefs that effort, team play, and parental support contribute to achievement in soccer. An increase in skilled performance over the season (as appraised by the coach) corresponded to a stronger task orientation and the beliefs that soccer success stems from hard work and having supportive parents.