Background: Regular sport participation is essential for youths physical, mental, and social health. Research shows, however, that sports participation peaks at around 10-14 years of age before declining through adolescence. Soccer, which is the most popular youth sport in Sweden, is no exception to dropout problems during adolescence. 

Purpose of the study: The purpose was to examine longitudinal changes in youth soccer players motivational regulations during the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic in Sweden, and how longitudinal changes in motivational regulations predicts dropout from youth soccer.

Methods: Self-reported data was collected from 325 youth soccer players between 11 and 17 years of age (M = 13.08) at the beginning of the season in 2019 (TI) and 2020 (T2) and dropout data was reported by the coaches at the end of the season in 2021 (T3). Latent change score analyses, using Bayesian estimator, was used to examine change in the players motivational regulations.  

Findings: There was a credible increase in amotivation (β = 0.14) and a credible decrease in identified regulation (β = -0.41) between T1 and T2. Changes in amotivation (β = 0.16), external regulation (β = 0.14), and intrinsic regulation (β = -0.15) between T1 and T2 were credible predictors of dropout from soccer at T3. 

Conclusion: To reduce the risk of dropout from youth soccer, during an ongoing pandemic, it is important to mitigate increases in amotivation and external regulation and to facilitate intrinsic motivation.