Coach Autonomy Support, Basic Psychological Needs and Self-Determined Motivation in Kickboxers: A Conceptual Model and Diagnostic Framework

Kickboxing is a full-contact combat sport that places high physical, technical and psychological demands on athletes. While the physical preparation of kickboxers has been studied extensively, the psychological mechanisms that sustain long-term training engagement remain insufficiently explored, particularly in Central Asian contexts. This article aims to develop a theoretically grounded conceptual model explaining how the coaching climate influences the quality of kickboxers' motivation, and to propose a corresponding diagnostic framework. The study is based on an integrative review of the literature on self-determination theory (SDT), the hierarchical model of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and the motivational model of the coach–athlete relationship. The proposed model describes a sequence in which coach autonomy support versus controlling coaching affects the satisfaction or thwarting of athletes' basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness, which in turn determines autonomous or controlled motivation and its behavioural and affective outcomes. A diagnostic battery comprising four validated instruments (ASCQ, BNSSS, PNTS and SMS-II) is proposed, along with a four-stage assessment procedure and need-specific coaching recommendations. The model provides a basis for future empirical research and for the design of motivational interventions in kickboxing.