Motivational orientations in sport: a study of college athletes in Kenya

Participation in sports and games dates to antiquity and not a single theory or explanation can account for why humans continue to engage in sports. It is particularly important to understand why youths participate in sport as this may influence the formation of future lifestyle and inform the design of appropriate sport and recreation programmes to meet their interests and needs. This study undertaken to evaluate the factors, which influence college athletes’ intention to participate in sports. It was hypothesized that college athletes participate in sport because of the need to excel in competition. Data were collected with questionnaires from 61 students randomly selected from a teacher training college in Kenya. Data were analysed through Kruskal-Wallis test of independent samples and hypothesis tested at p≤0.01 level of significance. Findings revealed significant differences in the motivational orientations of men and women engaged in different sports. It is recommended that educational institutions should diversify their sports development strategies and promote greater participation in recreational sports.