Beliefs and perceptions of footballers on success. The differences between sporting categories and their qualifying rank

Abstract

The aim of this research was to analyse the relationship between beliefs and perceptions held by adolescent footballers on success in the categories of U16 (under 16) and U18 (under18) leagues, as well as exploring the possible differences between sporting categories and their team's ranking. The sample included 512 individuals belonging to 12 clubs in the city of Zaragoza (M=16,01; DT: 1,465). The main means used were Perception of Success Questionnaire (POSQ) translated into Spanish by Cervelló, Escartí y Balaguer (1999) as well as Beliefs About the Causes of Sport Success Questionnaire (BACSSQ), created by Castillo, Balaguer y Duda (2002). The results showed a correlation, on the one hand, between attitudes towards the task and beliefs in success based on effort and motivation, and on the other hand, of attitudes towards oneself and both the accurate selfassessment of performance and the use of cheating methods, taking into account significant differences between the competitive level and the qualifying rank. Some practical implications can be deduced for coaches and instructors to bear in mind for their athletes who aim to acquire a more adaptive and self-determined behaviour in the attainment of sporting results.