Competitiveness of Children and Adolescent Athletes

This study aims to explore whether children and adolescent athletes are competing to win (CW) or competing to excel (CE), and if that changes with age and gender of the athlete. Administration of questionnaires (Hypercompetitive Attitude Scale, Goal Competitiveness Subscale of Personal Development Competitive Attitude Scale, and Competitiveness Questionnaire) will determine if males are truly more CW than females, as has been stated by previous literature. Comparison of different age groups will verify whether there is a key age in which athletes shift from primarily CE to primarily CW. This will allow coaches, parents, and educators to utilize trait competitiveness in an advantageous manner to ensure less burnout, more involvement, and more satisfaction of youth and adolescents in athletics. As a pilot study examining the potential existence of an age and gender related shift, the study will be purely observational if the sample size is not large enough to show statistical significance.