The Achievement Motivation Amongst Individual and Team Athletes in Response to Changes in Training Volume During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The present study addresses the diffi culties faced by some athletes in the COVID-19 pandemic. We present the quantitative and qualitative changes in the training sessions of individual and team athletes and their adaptation to the pandemic. The study aimed principally to examine the differences in the athletes’ achievement motivation resulting from changes in weekly training volume. To check the parameters of training and pandemic adaptation, 79 volleyball, basketball, and rowing athletes aged 19−24 fi lled in the Sport Orientation Questionnaire (SOQ) and a self-constructed questionnaire. There were diff erences in the quality and quantity of training before and after the pandemic in each discipline. Most of the athletes experienced mental and physical deterioration during the pandemic but declared that they coped moderately to well. Of those athletes who reduced their weekly training, team athletes were less competitive, and a decrease in goal and win orientation in individual disciplines was observed.