We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Maintaining and managing athletic identity among elite athletes.
- Authors
Poucher, Zoe A.; Tamminen, Katherine A.
- Abstract
Researchers have studied athletic identity (AI) and explored the impact that having a strong AI can have on an athlete. Additionally, researchers have explored the maintenance of AI, but only among very specific athletic populations. Little is known about how different athletes manage their AI at various stages in their career (i.e., still competing versus retired). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore how both retired and non-retired elite athletes from a range of sports maintain and perpetuate their AI. Five male and eight female elite athletes were individually interviewed on two separate occasions. Participants were asked questions regarding their AI, their successes and failures in sport, and how their feelings of self-worth were related to their athletic achievements. An inductive data analysis process was used, and relevant themes were identified. It was also found that there are things athletes do, or that occur in their environment that maintain and perpetuate their AI. The current findings expand this body of literature by exploring the various strategies elite athletes use to support their AI.
- Subjects
ATHLETIC identity (Psychology); ELITE athletes; SELF-esteem; PSYCHOLOGY of athletes; SPORTS psychology
- Publication
Journal of Sport Psychology / Revista de Psicología del Deporte, 2017, Vol 26, p63
- ISSN
1132-239X
- Publication type
Article