The purpose of this study was to (a) examine the relationship between the three basic psychological needs of the self-determination theory, parental involvement and goalorientation and (b) examine if parental involvement moderates the relationship between the three basic psychological needs and goal-orientation in youth soccer players. A panel study was made with 69 participants in the ages 15-18 years (M=15.29 and SD=.69). A nonerandom convenience sample was made to recruit participants and gather data. The result showed a positive statistical significant correlation between need-satisfaction and taskorientation. Furthermore, a positive statistical significant correlation was shown between parental praise and task-orientation. No statistical significant correlation between needsatisfaction and parental praise was shown. A significant moderating effect was shown where parental pressure reduced the correlation between need-satisfaction and task-orientation. The rest of the moderating-analyses showed no significant moderating effects. An expansion of the current study is necessary to more deeply understand how adolescents experience parental involvement in sport.

Keywords: Need frustration, need satisfaction, parental praise, parental pressure, task orientation, ego orientation, youth soccer players