Basketball Skill Challenge as a Tool to Motivate Juniors to Participate in Training

Abstract

The purpose of the thesis research was to find solutions to motivate juniors to participate actively in basketball training in Kajaanin Honka. The basketball skills challenge program was chosen as a tool to motivate juniors to participate in training due to its energy and satisfaction with psychological needs. Through its central ideology, it was possible to examine the factors connected to motivation. The theoretical framework of the thesis is based on motivation theory and self-determination, focusing on the concepts of intrinsic and extrinsic methodologies in children and early youth ages. Juniors are intrinsically motivated to participate in basketball training because of their inner arousal of excitement and enjoyment, and extrinsically because their friend is going so, they want to be with him/her, and they are making new friends. The thesis was looking for answers to the following three questions: What kind of factors motivate children to participate in basketball? Can a basketball skills challenge be used as a tool to motivate juniors to participate in training? How can Kajaani Honka’s training programs be adjusted to increase juniors’ motivation to participate in basketball training?

The study expected 15 to 22 juniors who are registered members of the club from the ages of 10 to 15 years old to participate in the three days a week for four weeks basketball skills challenge program. However, due to several reasons such as the moment the world was facing, not everyone was able to participate because of the health state or fear of obtaining the coronavirus, and some because they had other hobbies practicing beside basketball and came whenever they were free from the other hobbies. Furthermore, the study primarily relied on interviews and observations, allowing us to understand that juniors participate in training because they want to spend time with their friends, meet new people, have fun, and learn basketball.