A master thesis from Aalborg University
Facilitating Motivation in Later Life, A Case Study of Coach-Player and Club Dynamics in Walking Soccer
Author(s)
Term
4. semester
Education
Publication year
2025
Submitted on
2025-06-01
Pages
54 pages
Abstract
Background: Growing numbers of older adults and increasing levels of inactivity with age have expanded the research interest in experiences of sport and physical activity in older age. Despite several investigations into the experiences of walking soccer (WS) players, a lack of research exists on contextual factors such as coaching and club facilitation. Purpose: To investigate the role of the coach and organizer in facilitating participation and motivation within for players within a specific WS group of players. Theoretical Grounding: The data is seen in though Self-Determination (SDT) and grounded in hermeneutics. Methods: Qualitative case study based on semi-structured interviews and observations, analysed through Reflexive Thematic Analysis (RTA). The data comes from a total of seven participants, five players, one coach and one organizer. Results: Three themes were identified, “Environmental, Structural and Leadership Characteristics”, “Navigating Ageing through Acceptance, Adaptation, and Humour” and “Balancing Group Identity and Change”. Findings suggest that the coach and organizer were important in facilitating a supportive and age-adapted environment. Through inclusive leadership it fostered players’ basic needs satisfaction (competence, autonomy, relatedness), while adaptations for aging enable continued athletic participation. Conclusion: For practitioners and community organizers, this suggests designing sports programs for seniors with autonomy-supportive coaching, adaptive approaches, and opportunities for social connection. Ultimately, structured initiatives like walking soccer can promote active, successful aging by keeping older athletes engaged and socially connected.
Keywords
Documents
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