Nicholls' motivation conceptual framework pertaining to achievement goals was used to study the relationship between two implicit goal orientations (task and ego) and achievement cognitions and beliefs about the competitive team sport experience. The study examined the relationship between the goal orientations and purposes of team sport, motivational climate, satisfaction, sources of satisfaction, achievement strategies, and perception of ability in team sport. The subjects were 148 students experienced in team sport at a Norwegian university. The scales were translated specifically for the study and factor analyses used to determine the factor structure of the scales. Seventeen factors along the 6 dimensions emerged, and canonical analysis determined that predominantly task‐oriented subjects focused on health‐related activities within purposes, preferred mastery climates and focused on mastery‐oriented criteria to determine satisfaction and other achievement‐related beliefs. In contrast, predominantly ego‐oriented subjects focused on status enhancement for purpose, preferred performance‐oriented climates and focused on ego‐oriented criteria to determine satisfaction and other achiev