| Summary |
The purpose of this study was to examine the differences between demographic and individual player characteristics (i.e., gender, wheelchair basketball division, and individual athlete classification) and motives for involvement in adult wheelchair basketball athletes. Ninety-six wheelchair basketball players from teams in the National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA), ages 18-67 years old, participated in the study. Participants completed a Qualtrics survey that collected demographic information and included the Motives for Physical Activities Measure-Revised (MPAM-R). The MPAM-R measures five different motives for participation in athletes: interest/enjoyment, competence, appearance, fitness, and social motivation. Results demonstrated a significant difference [F (4,82) = 3.118, p=.020] between the Women's Division and the Championship Division on the competence scale (MD=0.74, p=.041), as well as a significant difference [F (4,80) = 3.665, p=.009] between the Men's Collegiate Division and Division III on the fitness scale (MD= 0.96, p=.047). The results of this study offer some insight into motivating wheelchair basketball players and differences among various divisions in the NWBA. The results from this study may benefit recreational therapy professionals, wheelchair basketball athletes, their coaches, and professionals involved in the promotion of adapted sports. |
