Role efficacy as mediator between motivational climate and performance in young footballers

Within the framework of Achievement Goal Theory and Bandura’s Self-efficacy Theory, this study tested a model that hypothesized relationships between the perceived motivational climate, role efficacy and role performance effectiveness as an indicator of performance, in offensive and defensive contexts in football. The mediational function of role efficacy between motivational climate and performance was also studied. A total of 295 male football players, between 12- and 16-years-old, completed the questionnaires assessing the study variables. The results showed that, in both the offensive and defensive context, role efficacy acted as a mediator between task-involving climate and performance, and as a partial mediator between ego-involving climate and performance. The results emphasize the important role of the perceived motivational climate created by the coach in the development of football players’ role efficacy beliefs and performance.