Gender differences in participant motivation in masters football at the 2010 Pan Pacific Masters Games

Exercise physiology, motor skill learning and biomechanics may set the limits to human motor performance; however, exercise and sport psychology will assist in reaching these limits. It is easy to underperform and very difficult to over perform in situations that are dependent upon an athlete’s level of motivation. Motivation is defined as “the directions and intensity of one’s effort” (Weinberg & Gould, 2011, p. 51) and is a significant factor in the selection of exercise and sport modes and the effort or energy a sportsperson is willing to extend in pursuing a sporting goal. Participant motivation evaluates those factors that enhance or inhibit motivation to participate and are represented by factors such as health orientation, weight concern/weight loss and personal goal achievement(Masters etal.,1993; Marcus & Forsyth, 2009). Previous research has identified factors considered by masters’ athletes to besignificant in motivating their participation and adherence to sport. These factors include type of sport, gender, age and intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation (heazlewood et al., 2011, 2012; ogles & Masters, 2000; Sevene et al., 2012). Specifically, heazlewood et al. (2011), using data from the 2009 World Master Games and using the Motivations of Marathoners Scale (MOMS: a self-report psychometric instrument), discovered that both male and female athletes were motivated by the socializing environment of sport, getting physically fit and improving competitive personal best performances. In this general context of World Masters Games athletes, strategies to increase participation in masters sports should focus on these factors, as other previously identified factors, such as weight loss, improving mental health and living longer, were not identified as important determinates of sports participation at the World Masters level.