Research Foundation

Scientific evidence confirms that a mastery orientation has strong positive effects on children in a variety of achievement domains, including sports. A mastery orientation involves an emphasis on skill development, maximum effort, and fun, and it occurs within an encouraging and supportive learning environment. In contrast to a "win at all costs" approach, a mastery climate has been shown to have the following benefits for young athletes:

More enjoyment of their sport experiences

Greater attachment to the coach

Greater liking for teammates

Increases in self-esteem

Decreases in performance anxiety

Reduced dropout rates from sports

Increases in mastery-oriented achievement goals and decreases
in an emphasis on defining success as outperforming others