European Journal of Physical Education and Sport Science ISSN: 2501 - 1235 ISSN-L: 2501 - 1235 Available on-line at: www.oapub.org/edu doi: 10.5281/zenodo.232997 Volume 3 │ Issue 1 │ 2017 INFLUENCE OF AGE ON SATISFACTION LEVELS OF KENYAN VOLLEYBALL LEAGUE PLAYERS Mugala Bulinda H.1*i, Wamukoya Edwin K.2 Department of Physical and Health Education, Kenyatta University, 1 P.O. Box 43844, Nairobi, 00100, Kenya Zetech University College, 2 P.O. Box 2768-00200, Nairobi, Kenya Abstract: Satisfaction in sports has been a critical issue because of its relation to several psychosocial factors like leadership and motivation. Demographic characteristics of the groups under study have also shown to have impact on the satisfaction levels in physical activity. Based on the self-determination theory, the present study on influence of age on satisfaction of Kenyan volleyball league players hypothesized that there is no significant difference among Kenya volleyball league players of different age categories on the 15 sub-scales of sports satisfaction on the Athletic Satisfaction Questionnaire (ASQ). The study targeted male and female Kenyan volleyball league players in national division one and two. A total of 134 players were sampled for the study. Data were analysed by use of descriptive statistics and t test. Independent group t-ratios on the satisfaction scale showed significance (p< .05) on Team Social Contribution (t –2.756, p=0.007), Ethics (t-2.043, p=0.043), Team Integration (t-2.193, p=0.30), Academic Support Services (t -2.961, p=0.004) and External Agents (t -3.303, p=0.001).The study concluded that age influence satisfaction in sports and physical activity with younger and older players showing inclination towards different satisfaction components. It recommended enhancement of varied satisfaction components by coaches and trainers to maximize participation and performance. Keywords: age, athletic, motivation, satisfaction i Correspondence: email hmbulinda@yahoo.com Copyright © The Author(s). All Rights Reserved. © 2015 – 2017 Open Access Publishing Group 15 Mugala Bulinda H., Wamukoya Edwin K. INFLUENCE OF AGE ON SATISFACTION LEVELS OF KENYAN VOLLEYBALL LEAGUE PLAYERS 1. Introduction Satisfaction is an integral part of sport participation and enjoyment. Without satisfaction, athletes would turn to other sources for potential success and enjoyment. The importance of satisfaction cannot be underestimated at any age. According to Chelladurai (1984), the degree of satisfaction in athletes is expressed by the relation of their performance and the degree to which (team) performance reach or fail to reach expected levels. Mugala (2000) states that lack of satisfaction in sport leads to dropout from sport. Petlichkoff (1993) suggests that the level of satisfaction an athlete maintained during sport involvement also played a role in perception of performance. Understanding influence of satisfaction on Kenyan volleyball league players is significant since it gives direction on how these athletes need to be guided and motivated through their engagements. In Kenya, volleyball is a very important sport since it is played equally by both men and women at elite level. The sport is also widely played in Kenyan schools both at primary and secondary school level since it requires minimal space and facilities. Furthermore, the sport is a common leisure time sport especially among the low and middle social economic status persons due to the simplicity of its facilities and equipment. Thus, volleyball is a popular Kenyan sport and understanding influence of satisfaction among participants in this sport is very important to the world of sport and physical education. Studies on satisfaction in sports have been varied depending on methodological dimension. The target group under study has been one of the determinants of how this theme has been explored. Others include the instruments used and type of sport being investigated. The study of satisfaction in sport is a multifaceted one because several factors contribute to athlete satisfaction. The present study examined 15 different satisfaction subscales among Kenyan Volleyball League Players. This shows the diversity of satisfaction in sport. Researchers have examined athletic satisfaction in combination with several variables, but primarily, leadership and motivation are the major dimensions. Researchers have had difficulty creating a valid and reliable measuring instrument to assess athletic satisfaction because satisfaction is a very broad concept. Additionally, the conceptual frameworks applicable to studies on satisfaction have been varied. Self-determination theory (Deci and Ryan, 1985) has been one of the theories that explain satisfaction in physical activity. This theory is based on the premise that individuals pursue self-determined goals to satisfy their basic psychological needs to independently solve problems, interact socially and master tasks (Martin & Nikos, 2007).This has effect on satisfaction among the participants. European Journal of Physical Education and Sport Science - Volume 3 │ Issue 1 │ 2017 16 Mugala Bulinda H., Wamukoya Edwin K. INFLUENCE OF AGE ON SATISFACTION LEVELS OF KENYAN VOLLEYBALL LEAGUE PLAYERS 2. Review of Literature Studies in Physical Activity have examined the relationship between involvement in sports and academic performance. Trudeau and Shepherd (2008) examined physical education, school physical activity, school sports and academic performance using review of literature between the years 1966 and 2007. The study established that allocating up to an additional hour per day of curricular time to physical activity programmes does not affect the academic performance of primary school students negatively, even though the time allocated to other subjects usually shows a corresponding reduction and improved physical fitness. The study found positive influence between physical activity and academic performance, although there was no relation between physical fitness and academic performance. The study concluded that increased physical activity time positively affects the other subjects, however, adding more time to other disciplines while reducing time allocated to physical activity does not improve academic performance. The study thus showed that satisfaction in physical activity leads to improved academic school performance. Psychosocial benefits of sports have also been studies to establish benefits derived from participation in Physical Activity. Eime, Young, Harvey, Charity, and Payne (2013) carried out a review of the psychological and social benefits of participation in sport for children and adolescents. The study aimed at developing a conceptual model of health through sport. The study involved a review of electronic databases of June 2012 and studies published since 1990 on mental and/or social health benefits from participation in sport. The study reported different psychological and social health benefits, with the most common being improved self-esteem and social interaction. It further found that sport may be associated with improved psychosocial health above and beyond improvements attributable to participation in Physical Activity. Specifically, team sport seems to be associated with improved health outcomes compared to individual activities due to the social nature of participation. The study proposed a conceptual model referred to as Health through Sport. It depicts the relationship between psychological, psychosocial and social health domains, and their positive associations with sport participation. It concluded that participation in sport is important to the community because of the psycho social benefits beside the other physical gains. The present study may get direction from Eime et al (2013) since the satisfaction variables under study include various psychosocial issues among the athletes. A related study by Morris, McAuley and Motl (2008) on neighborhood satisfaction, functional limitations, and self-efficacy influences on physical activity in older women had similar findings. It found that changes in neighbourhood satisfaction European Journal of Physical Education and Sport Science - Volume 3 │ Issue 1 │ 2017 17 Mugala Bulinda H., Wamukoya Edwin K. INFLUENCE OF AGE ON SATISFACTION LEVELS OF KENYAN VOLLEYBALL LEAGUE PLAYERS and functional limitations had direct effects on residual changes in self-efficacy, and changes in self-efficacy were associated with changes in physical activity at 6 months. Studies in physical activity have also explored the link between motivation and satisfaction. Reeser, Berg, Rhea and Willick (2005) examined motivation and satisfaction among polyclinic volunteers at the 2002 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. The study required the 2002 Winter Games polyclinic healthcare volunteers to complete a questionnaire designed to elicit information about their motives for volunteering and the factors that contributed to their satisfaction with their volunteer experience. Results showed that there was no significant difference in the motivation or satisfaction summary scores based on event worked. However, there was a strong positive correlation between motivation and satisfaction. It was also observed that physician respondents had a lower mean motivation score than did non-physician volunteers. The study concluded that there were no significant motivational differences between Olympic and Paralympic volunteers, but there were several differences noted between physician and non-physician volunteers. Reeser, et al (2005) further concluded that 2002 polyclinic volunteers appear to have been motivated by a complex process best described as “enlightened self-interest,” and all were generally well satisfied with their experience. The study recommended that organizers of future Games need appropriately motivated volunteer personnel. Furthermore, there is need to create a rewarding work environments for volunteers at all times. This study gives an outlook to the present study since some of the satisfaction factors under study border on voluntarism. Young-Jun, DeSchriver, Bestmann and YeanSub (1997) carried out a study on Satisfaction Levels of Elite Track and Field Athletes in South Korea. The general problem of this study was to examine the level of satisfaction of elite track and field athletes in South Korea with facilities, equipment, financial support, head coach's technical ability, training methods and leadership. The subjects in this study were both male and female elite track and field athletes whose performance in 1997 ranked them among the top five as their track and field events in South Korea. The list of these athletes was obtained from the Korean Amateur Athletics Federation (KAAF). Since there were a total of 22 events for men and 20 for women, the sample included 110 (22X5) males and 100 (20X5) females. Therefore, the sample included a total of 210 athletes. However, taking into consideration that 16 athletes placed in the top five in more than one event, the actual targeted number of potential subjects was 194. Eightyseven per cent of the subjects (N=168) responded to the questionnaire. Results of the study showed that of a total subjects (N=168), 90 (58.3%) were male athletes, and 78 (41.7%) were female athletes. Seventy-two (42.9%) athletes were ages of 18 to 21 and 60 (36.9%) were ages of 22 to 25. Only six athletes (3.6%) were over 30 years European Journal of Physical Education and Sport Science - Volume 3 │ Issue 1 │ 2017 18 Mugala Bulinda H., Wamukoya Edwin K. INFLUENCE OF AGE ON SATISFACTION LEVELS OF KENYAN VOLLEYBALL LEAGUE PLAYERS old. One-way ANOVA was used to determine differences in Athletes' Satisfaction Levels. Results revealed that there were statistically significant differences among means of the six factors; facilities, equipment, financial support, head coach's technical ability, training methods, and leadership. The results of the post hoc test indicated financial support was significantly lower than facilities, head coach's technical ability, training methods, and leadership. The study concluded that track and field coaches must discern whether the event in which their athletes compete is appropriate. If it is believed to be inappropriate, the athletes must be encouraged to change their event. By doing so, the athletes may obtain better results and thus experience greater satisfaction. Secondly, it was desirable to expend more money on providing athletes with quality training equipment needed to increase satisfaction. Lastly, it was desirable to develop a financial support plan, if implemented, could increase track and field athletes' satisfaction and thus result in greater interest in participating in track and field. A study on African volleyball players was carried out by Morakinyo (2002) to understand Academic Status of African Elite Volleyball Players. The study, Academic Status of African Elite Volleyball Players involved 96 African elite volleyball players. They completed a questionnaire about their present academic status, and intended academic ambitions. The study revealed that 53.3% had obtained academic certificates, while 46.7% had not. Also, 80% of the respondents wanted to further their education, while 20% were not interested. Morakinyo (2002) noted that there was need to encourage athletes, especially elite ones to attain high academic certificates to open occupational doors often not available to those without academic credentials when they are no longer able to sustain their sport careers. The study further noted that the number of African elite volleyball players without academic certificates might be large. Academic support services are one of the satisfaction components covered by this study thus need to make comparison. Morakinyo (2002) showed how many African elite players have not been keen on furthering their education. A view on the tactical aspects of African volleyball teams was examined by Bailasha and Akpata (2002). The study, Effectiveness of Serves used during the 12th African Feminine African Volleyball Clubs Championship investigated technical and tactical paradigms in volleyball to determine levels of African volleyball players’ masteries of serves, and how they used them tactfully to determine outcomes of games. The study showed that only three types of serves were used, the floater, tennis and jump service. It was noted that the floater was the most used and most effective serve. Also, teams did not diversify types of serves. This led to the conclusion that level of African female volleyballers; masteries of serves and abilities to use them to determine outcomes of games were very low. These findings are very necessary for the present European Journal of Physical Education and Sport Science - Volume 3 │ Issue 1 │ 2017 19 Mugala Bulinda H., Wamukoya Edwin K. INFLUENCE OF AGE ON SATISFACTION LEVELS OF KENYAN VOLLEYBALL LEAGUE PLAYERS study in trying to understand satisfaction, performance, training and instructions, which are key variables under study. Leadership and satisfaction have also been studied concurrently in physical activity. Chelladurai, Imamura, Yamaguchi, Oinuma and Miyauchi (1988) investigated sport leadership in a cross-national setting. The researchers studied 115 Japanese athletes and 100 Canadian university athletes, and compared the results between the two groups. Chelladurai et-al (1988) examined preferred leadership through the use of the Leadership Scale for Sports (LSS) developed by Chelladurai and Saleh (1980). Satisfaction was assessed through 18 items answered on a 7-point Likert Scale. Chelladurai et-al (1988) indicated differences between the two groups when preferred leadership, perceived leadership and satisfaction were compared. Chelladurai et-al (1988) found that “Japanese athletes preferred more of an autocratic and socially supportive leadership while Canadian athletes preferred more of training and instruction. Canadian athletes perceived coaches as more autocratic and revealed more satisfaction in personal performancebased outcomes and leadership, than did the Japanese athletes.“ Another leadership related study was carried out by Aminuddin (2002) on practice of transformational leadership among Malaysian high school coaches and its impact on athlete satisfaction with individual performance. The study entailed 162 high school students from netball and soccer teams. The Transformational Leadership Behaviour Inventory (TLBI) developed by Podsakoff, MacKenzie, Moorman and Fetter (1999) and the Athletic Satisfaction Questionnaire (ASQ) developed by Riemer and Chelladurai (1998) were the two main instruments used for data collection. Also, subjects responded to demographic information of age, ethnicity, incentives, facilities and support system. The study found out that transformational leadership behaviour of the soccer and netball coaches were significantly related to players’ satisfactions. Additionally, results showed that athletes were more likely to be satisfied with their performance if they were in good academic standing, and if they had a local Malaysian coach. Significant finding of the study by Aminuddin (2002) to this study was the relationship between transformational leadership behaviour and players satisfaction. Roberto and YeanSub (2001) studied Job Satisfaction among Athletic Trainers in NCAA Division I AA Institutions. The participants were 138 certified athletic trainers (73 men, 65 women) from NCAA Division IAA institutions, which sponsored football. They consisted of program directors (13.0%), faculty (5.1%), head athletic trainers (16.7%), assistant athletic trainers (48.6%), and graduate assistants (16.7%). Education of the respondents was as follows: bachelor's degree = 13%, masters degree = 67.4%, doctoral degree = (13.0%). The majority of subjects (34.8%) had one to five years experience, 31.2% had six to 10 years of experience, and 22.5% had more than 16 years experience in athletic training. The study by Roberto and YeanSub (2001) utilized European Journal of Physical Education and Sport Science - Volume 3 │ Issue 1 │ 2017 20 Mugala Bulinda H., Wamukoya Edwin K. INFLUENCE OF AGE ON SATISFACTION LEVELS OF KENYAN VOLLEYBALL LEAGUE PLAYERS demographic variables of age, gender and experience. They also used classification of the coaches’ satisfaction depending on their qualifications. The study concluded that total satisfaction rank scores indicated intrinsic variables to be the most satisfying element in the profession. Social service ranked as the most satisfying variable in total job satisfaction. Advancement and compensation were the most dissatisfying variables of total job satisfaction. The highest level of satisfaction was seen in program directors and athletic training faculty. The lower the employment position the lower the satisfaction level. Satisfaction may be contributed to the level of compensation, which was seen at various positions. The most dissatisfied were younger members of the profession: specifically, the certified graduate assistant. Male respondents had a higher level of satisfaction as compared to females. This may be related to the dissatisfying score of advancement in the profession. However, advancement was a total job satisfaction variable, which in general, athletic training personnel found dissatisfying. As educational levels increased so did the level of job satisfaction. As the years of experience increased so did the job satisfaction of the subjects. Turner and Jordan (2006) carried out a study on Commitment and Satisfaction of Coaches. The study was titled “Commitment and Satisfaction of Coaches: Which is Important in the Retention and Performance of Coaches?” The study sought for four main issues; organizational commitment, satisfaction, intention to leave the organization and objective performance. Organizational commitment was measured using a modified version of Meyer and Allen’s (1991) 24 item instrument to measure Affective Commitment Scale (AC), Normative Commitment Scale (NC), Continuance Commitment high personal sacrifice (CC: HiSac), and Continuance Commitment –low number of alternatives (CC: LoAlt) was chosen. Since the research was concerned with measure of overall job satisfaction for coaches, a single item measure was chosen to assess satisfaction. Coaches were asked to indicate their level of agreement to a single statement concerning overall job satisfaction (“Overall, I am satisfied with my current job”) on a 7 –point Likert scale, ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree. Intention to leave the organization was measured using two items adapted from a scale used by Meyer et-al. (1993). This included a 7 – point Likert scale, where respondents were asked how frequent they think about leaving their university and how likely it is that they will actually leave within the next two years. Objective performance was measured by asking the coaches their previous seasons win-lose record. In conclusion, Turner and Jordan (2006) stated that satisfaction and commitment were significantly related to the turnover intentions and objective performance of intercollegiate head coaches. Most importantly, satisfaction had a greater influence on European Journal of Physical Education and Sport Science - Volume 3 │ Issue 1 │ 2017 21 Mugala Bulinda H., Wamukoya Edwin K. INFLUENCE OF AGE ON SATISFACTION LEVELS OF KENYAN VOLLEYBALL LEAGUE PLAYERS intention to leave the organization, while commitment had a greater influence on objective performance. Conceptually, the relationship between job satisfaction and employee work performance would seem to be both positive and strong. Research by Fisher (2003) found that individuals tended to support the “commonsense theme” that satisfied workers were more likely to be productive workers. In contrast to this endorsement of the satisfied productive worker hypothesis, the majority of empirical work has revealed that the relationship between job satisfaction and performance, though positive, is generally weak and inconsistent (Fisher, 2003). However, despite past results, researchers continue to study the satisfaction – performance relationship in an attempt to clarify the “real” association between the two constructs. In another study, Maday (2000) studied goal orientation and level of satisfaction in runners. The participants for this study were 68 male and 89 female intercollegiate cross-country runners from the New England area United States of America (U.S.A.). Participants were delimited to Division III athletes competing in an organized intercollegiate cross-country program in the fall of 1999. A total of 10 Division III New England area colleges in the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (E.C.A.C) were included in the sample. Demographic Questionnaire was used to indicate the age, gender, level of ability, and years of running experience. Level of ability was defined for females based on an average 5 – Kilometre distance with race time of 25 minutes or higher for beginners, 2124 minutes for intermediate runners, and 20 minutes or under for advanced runners. Level of ability was determined for males based on an 8 kilometre distance, average race time as 30 minutes or higher for beginners, 27-29 minutes for intermediate runners, and 26 minutes or under for advanced runners. The Test of Ego Orientation in Sports Questionnaire (TEOSQ) (Duda and Nicholls, 1992) was utilized to assess goal orientation while satisfaction was measured by the Athletic Satisfaction Questionnaire (ASQ) (Riemer & Chelladurai, 1998) for male and female intercollegiate cross-country runners. A total of 175 questionnaires were administered with a 90% acceptance, 10% of the questionnaires were rejected due to incomplete data. Task orientation significantly correlated with the following subscales of the ASQ: Individual Performance, Ability Utilization, Strategy, Training and Instruction, Team Task Contribution, Team Social Contribution, Team Integration, Personal Dedication, Medical Personnel, Academic Support Services and External Agents. Ego Orientation significantly (p<. 05) negatively correlated with the following subscales of the ASQ: Ability Utilization, Team Integration, Personal Dedication, and Medical Personnel. Age significantly (p<. 05) European Journal of Physical Education and Sport Science - Volume 3 │ Issue 1 │ 2017 22 Mugala Bulinda H., Wamukoya Edwin K. INFLUENCE OF AGE ON SATISFACTION LEVELS OF KENYAN VOLLEYBALL LEAGUE PLAYERS positively correlated with Personal Dedication subscale of the ASQ. However, age significantly (p<. 05) negatively correlated with the Budget subscale of the ASQ. Ability level significantly (p<. 05) positively correlated with the following subscales of the ASQ. Team Social Contribution, Team Integration, and Personal Dedication. Ability level also significantly (p<. 05) negatively correlated with the following subscales of the ASQ: Team Performance, Budget, Medical Personnel and Academic Support Services. No significant relationships were found between the demographic variable -years of experience and any of the 15 subscales of the ASQ or the two subscales of the TEOSQ. The Levene Test of homogeneity of variance was used to determine if males and females had similar variance for each of the 17 subscales. From the Levene Test of homogeneity of variance, unequal variance was found only on the Team Group Ethics subscale of the ASQ indicating unequal variances for males and females. The standard deviation for females (.99) was significantly (p<. 05) greater than for males (.68) for this variable. No significant (p<. 05) mean differences were found for males and females on the mean scores for the two subscales of the TEOSQ. However, significant differences were found between mean scores for males and females on six of the subscales of the ASQ. Females had higher means than males on Team Performance, Budget, Medical Personnel and Academic Support Services. Male runners had higher means than females on Team Social Contribution and Personal Dedication. Maday (2000) concluded that task oriented individuals scored higher on satisfaction subscales pertaining to Team Social Contribution, Personal Dedication, and Medical Personnel. Also, women were more satisfied with Team performance, Budget, Medical Personnel and Academic Support Services, while men were more satisfied with Personal Dedication and Team Social Contribution. 3. Methodology The current study examined influence of age on satisfaction levels of Kenya volleyball league players. It hypothesized that there is no significant difference among Kenya volleyball league players of different age categories on the 15 subscales of Athletic Satisfaction Questionnaire (ASQ). The study an analytical case study by design used the ASQ developed by Riemer and Chelladurai (1998) and a demographic questionnaire to obtain the age of the Kenyan league players. The ASQ scale had been validated by the designer during its development. The same was carried out through expert judgment by the researchers of the present study. Reliability of the instrument was ascertained during pilot study of the present study where a correlation coefficient of .78 was obtained. The study targeted the top levels of volleyball league in Kenya for male and European Journal of Physical Education and Sport Science - Volume 3 │ Issue 1 │ 2017 23 Mugala Bulinda H., Wamukoya Edwin K. INFLUENCE OF AGE ON SATISFACTION LEVELS OF KENYAN VOLLEYBALL LEAGUE PLAYERS female players. Data were analyzed descriptively and also by use of t test to test the hypothesis at .05 level of significance. Ethical and logistical considerations were observed according to the National Council for Science, Technology and Innovation (NACOSTI) in Kenya. Data were collected at the training venues of sampled teams after the subjects had signed the relevant consent form and prior arrangements organized between the researchers and the managers of sampled teams. 4. Results Age was compared to satisfaction where t-ratios were computed. Age category comprised of younger and older players, while satisfaction included the 15 components of satisfaction on the ASQ. Table 1 shows mean differences and independent group t ratios between younger and older players on the satisfaction subscales of ASQ. Table 1: Age mean differences and independent group t-ratios for both younger and older players on satisfaction components Satisfaction Components Younger Players Older Players (N=72) (N=62) Mean SD Mean Difference Sig. t 2-tailed Mean SD Individual Performance 3.8519 1.3805 3.9570 1.0889 -.1051 -.484 .629 Team Performance 4.0417 1.6848 3.8548 1.4706 .1868 .678 .499 Ability utilization 4.0333 1.3925 3.8710 1.1724 .1624 .723 .471 Strategy 3.9495 1.4370 3.7285 1.0776 .2210 .994 .322 Personal Treatment 3.9278 1.4870 4.0000 1.2211 -.0722 -.304 .761 Training and Instruction 3.8194 1.6643 3.7204 1.3526 .099 .374 .709 Team task contribution 4.0231 1.5294 3.6290 1.1845 .3941 1.647 .102 Team social contribution 4.5185 1.1464 3.9462 1.2562 .5723 2.756* .007 Ethics 3.9630 1.3801 3.5054 1.1824 .4576 2.043* .043 Team integration 4.3021 1.4456 3.8065 1.1175 .4956 2.193* .030 Personal dedication 4.4514 1.0662 4.1048 1.1394 .3466 1.817 .071 Budget 2.9352 1.7873 3.0699 1.5879 -.1347 -.458 .648 Medical personnel 3.0035 1.9467 2.5444 1.6256 .4591 1.468 .145 European Journal of Physical Education and Sport Science - Volume 3 │ Issue 1 │ 2017 24 Mugala Bulinda H., Wamukoya Edwin K. INFLUENCE OF AGE ON SATISFACTION LEVELS OF KENYAN VOLLEYBALL LEAGUE PLAYERS Academic support services External agents 3.0000 1.8922 2.1452 1.3572 .8548 2.961* .004 3.5359 1.7479 2.6774 1.1455 .8585 3.303* .001 N=134, Equal variance assumed, p< .05, df=132, *-Significant t The table shows positive mean difference between younger and older players on various satisfaction components. These included Team Performance (0.1868), Ability Utilization (0.1624), Strategy (0.2210), Training and Instruction (0.0991). Others include Team Task Contribution (0.3941), Team Social Contribution (0.3466), Medical Personnel (0.4591), Academic Support Services (0.8548) and External Agents (0.8585) on the satisfaction component as measured by the ASQ. The positive mean differences showed that younger players recorded higher means than older players. Consequently, there were negative mean differences on Individual Performance (-0.1051), Personal Treatment (-0.07222) and Budget (-0.1347) between younger and older players, thus older players recorded higher means on these satisfaction components. Therefore, younger players had higher means than older players on all satisfaction components apart from Individual Performance, Personal Treatment and Budget. Independent group t-ratios on the satisfaction scale showed significance (p< .05) on Team Social Contribution (t –2.756, p=0.007), Ethics (t-2.043, p=0.043), Team Integration (t-2.193, p=0.30), Academic Support Services (t -2.961, p=0.004) and External Agents (t -3.303, p=0.001). Therefore, younger players were significantly (p<. 05) more satisfied than older players on the satisfaction components of Team Social Contribution, Ethics, Team Integration, Academic Support Services and External Agents among Kenya Volleyball League Players. The null hypothesis that there would be no significant (p< .05) difference between younger and older players on satisfaction among Kenya Volleyball League Players was accepted apart from satisfaction components of Team Social Contribution, Ethics, Team Integration, Academic Support Services and External Agents . 5. Discussion Results of independent group t ratios showed that younger players were significantly more satisfied than older players on satisfaction components of Team Social Contribution, Ethics, Team Integration, Academic Support Services and External Agents. On all the significant satisfaction components, younger players had higher scores than older players. The significant t-test may be interpreted further as follows; the younger the athlete, the more satisfied she/he is with Team Social Contribution European Journal of Physical Education and Sport Science - Volume 3 │ Issue 1 │ 2017 25 Mugala Bulinda H., Wamukoya Edwin K. INFLUENCE OF AGE ON SATISFACTION LEVELS OF KENYAN VOLLEYBALL LEAGUE PLAYERS (satisfaction with how teammates contribute to the athlete as a person), Ethics (satisfaction with the ethical position of teammates), Team Integration (satisfaction with members contributions and coordination of their efforts towards the teams task), Academic Support Services (satisfaction with the academic support services provided to the athletes) and External Agents (satisfaction with those agents/elements outside the organization which may contribute to the team). This finding differs with Maday (2000) on the study among college cross-country runners where she found only Budget negatively correlated with Age, hence her conclusion that the older the athlete, the less satisfaction with budgetary allotments. In the present study, older players recorded a higher mean on budget (amount of money provided to the team by management) but this was not statistically significant. Comparatively, this study utilized a different age category in which National league players were used while Maday (2000) used intercollegiate athletics players hence the discrepancy in the two studies. It is likely that league teams budget is sufficient than funds allocated to intercollegiate sports thus need for enhancing college/ university sports budgets. Further comparison between the two studies show that satisfaction component of Budget was not significant unlike Maday (2000). Regardless of the findings of the present study and earlier findings, finance is a critical component in sports either in learning institutions or competitive professional sports as reported by Young-Jun, DeSchriver, Bestmann and YeanSub (1997) on the study among the Korean national team. According to Maday (2000), age significantly (p<. 05) positively correlated with Personal Dedication subscale of the ASQ. This may be interpreted to imply that the older the runner, the higher the level of satisfaction with Personal Dedication (satisfaction with athletes own contribution to the team). No significant (p> .05) difference was found between younger and older players on Personal Dedication in the present study. The two studies therefore have varying findings on the variable of age. This shows that research on goal orientation and satisfaction are not conclusive hence need for further investigations. The present study found that younger players are significantly more satisfied with how teammates contribute to the athlete as a person (team social contribution), ethical position of teammates (ethics), members contribution and coordination of their efforts towards the teams task (team integration), satisfaction with the academic support services provided to the athletes (academic support services) and agents/elements outside the organization which may contribute to the team (external agents). Younger players were therefore found to be good team players because of their satisfaction on team social contribution and team integration, a finding supported by Eime et al (2013). This enhances the position of sports as a socialization agent and shows that the significance of sports is beyond the academic improvement as reported by European Journal of Physical Education and Sport Science - Volume 3 │ Issue 1 │ 2017 26 Mugala Bulinda H., Wamukoya Edwin K. INFLUENCE OF AGE ON SATISFACTION LEVELS OF KENYAN VOLLEYBALL LEAGUE PLAYERS Trudeau and Shepherd (2008). Also, by being significantly satisfied with the ethical position of teammates, they readily accepted their peers. Therefore, younger players were found to be good team players with satisfactory ethical behaviours. Younger players showed the appreciation of sports for promotion of character development as shown by the study findings. The finding that younger players were significantly more satisfied on Academic Support Services is not surprising. This is because most of the younger players are high school, college or university students (Kenya Volleyball Federation, 2015). It is good that team managers have considered this and given them adequate support. The older players who are out of college/school, university could not be interested in the academic support services, hence the low satisfaction level. This finding helps to show that majority of the older players are not involved in academic pursuits like their younger counterparts. These findings concur with Morakinyo (2002) on the study of academic status of African volleyball players. The study found that 46.7% of African elite players do not have academic certificates. However, the study noted that 80% of these players wanted to further their education. Therefore, managers of younger players should maximize academic support services to ensure higher satisfaction and achievement among this caliber of players. The support from school, college/university or community (External Agents) is particularly significant to younger than older players (Mugala, 2002) because these are salient factors in schools than in clubs. The close link between sports and external agents is widely observed in voluntarism as reported by Reeser, et al (2005) signifying the importance of sports to the community. Also, being less experienced, players in learning institutions highly depend on support from the fans and the mass media to highlight their performance and popularity. In summary, sports psychologists have revealed that external support during competitions is one of the psychological factors that contribute to team success (Hayes, 2003; Weinberg & Gould, 2015). Therefore, younger players raised a valid satisfactory component when they highlighted external agents (support from school/university or community) as a significant satisfaction component. Coaches and trainers should therefore use this initiative as a baseline to psychologically prepare their athletes /players because of its positive consequences. 6. Conclusion Age category showed that younger players had higher means than older players on all satisfaction components apart from Individual Performance, Personal Treatment and Budget. Furthermore, younger players were significantly more satisfied than older European Journal of Physical Education and Sport Science - Volume 3 │ Issue 1 │ 2017 27 Mugala Bulinda H., Wamukoya Edwin K. INFLUENCE OF AGE ON SATISFACTION LEVELS OF KENYAN VOLLEYBALL LEAGUE PLAYERS players on satisfaction components of Team Social Contribution, Ethics, Team Integration, Academic Support Services and External Agents. The study showed that younger players are significantly more satisfied than older players on the satisfaction components of Team Social Contribution, Ethics, Team Integration, Academic Support Services and External Agents. Age is therefore a determinant of satisfaction on these satisfaction components. The older the players, the less satisfied they become with satisfaction components of Team Social Contribution, Ethics, Team Integration, Academic Support Services and External Agents. The study concludes that there is need to enhance budgetary allocation to youth teams since they show low satisfaction levels. Players in the younger age category are mainly college/ university students thus need to increase budgetary allocation within such learning institutions. Furthermore, there is need to enhance players personnel commitment to the team as observed in the study. However, the higher scores reported on team social cohesion and ethics are positive steps since they show how sports impact on the socialization of young people. The same need to be enhanced among the older players by the coaches and trainers through social learning. The findings of this study agree with Roberto and YeanSub (2001) study on job satisfaction among coaches where it was concluded that intrinsic variables are more satisfying elements in the sports profession. The same may be reported among the Kenyan volleyball league players where a significant number of the players recorded higher scores on social cohesion. There is need to expound on various social and psychological issues like leadership traits and their impact on different athletic groups both recreational and competitive. References 1. Aminuddin Y. (2002). Practice of Transformational Leadership Among Malaysian High School Coaches and Its Impact on Athlete Satisfaction with Individual Performance. 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Foundations of Sport and Exercise Psychology. 6th Edition. Human Kinetics. Champaign IL. 25. Young-Jun, Dick D., Lawrence B. and YeanSub" L. (1997). Satisfaction levels of elite track and field athletes in South Korea. Korean National University of Physical Education. Unpublished European Journal of Physical Education and Sport Science - Volume 3 │ Issue 1 │ 2017 30 Mugala Bulinda H., Wamukoya Edwin K. INFLUENCE OF AGE ON SATISFACTION LEVELS OF KENYAN VOLLEYBALL LEAGUE PLAYERS Creative Commons licensing terms Authors will retain the copyright of their published articles agreeing that a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0) terms will be applied to their work. 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