The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between Parental Support (SP) and coping strategies (ICE), mediated by self-determined motivation. A total of 126 soccer athletes took part in study, aged between 13 and 20 years, belonging to a soccer team from Paraná State, Brazil. Data collection instruments were: Sport motivation scale, Athletic Coping Skills Inventory and Parental Support Scale. Statistical analysis was performed through Structural Equation Modeling. Results evidenced a good fit to the proposed model and significant paths between all variables. SP had a strong and positive influence on intrinsic motivation (MI), and medium and negative influence on extrinsic motivation (ME). ICE was predicted positively by MI and negatively by ME. It was concluded that self-determined motivation is crucial for the predictive role of parental support over psychological coping skills in the context of soccer.
Motivation; Parent-Child Relationship; Athletes; Soccer
