Athletic identity, or the degree with which individuals identify with the athlete role, is an important rehabilitation factor for sports care providers to consider; however, it lacks extensive study ...in youth. The purpose of this study was to identify demographic, sport participation, and psychosocial measures which correlate with youth athletic identity after anterior cruciate ligament injury. Participants completed standardized sports medicine intake and patient-reported outcome measures, including the Athletic Identity Measurement Scale (AIMS). A total of 226 participants were included, and two groups were created based on high or low total AIMS score. Results indicated that sex (
p
=
0.002
), years active in sport (
p
=
0.049
), activity level (
p
=
0.038
), and ACSI-Coachability (
p
=
0.027
) differed by AIMS score. While youth athletes appear resilient, these results emphasize that they identify strongly with the athlete role and may suffer psychosocial consequences after injury. Future work should evaluate similar factors over course of recovery in a larger, diversified population.
PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to understand the athletic identity of youth football players and to trace its changing trend. METHODS Participants of this study included 93 players in 2005 and ...94 players in 2021, who were in middle and high schools. All participants answered open-ended questionnaires. After the results of the inductive content analysis, the changing trend of the results was assessed. RESULTS The athletic identity of youth football players were collected from 811 raw data samples collected in 2005 and 741 collected in 2021 and categorized into 19 sub-categories and 5 categories. The results show a tendency to be specific to football. The athletic identity of a football player itself is weakening, being replaced by the identity of being a student. The role of the camp is also weakening, while more privacy and autonomy are allowed to the players. As a result, efforts to secure the players’ right to study were accepted by the players, and expected to decrease as camp life with limited privacy is on the decline, and as senses toward one’s physical competence are changing. CONCLUSIONS Sociocultural contexts, including changes in the system and social modifications, are reflected in the football player's athletic identity and its changes. The athletic identity of youth football players has changed from its 2005 version of unacademic camp life with limited privacy to the 2021 version, where the player leaves camp to be provided with privacy and attend classes.
La identidad deportiva (ID) puede desempeñar un papel importante en la participación físico-deportiva y, por ende, en la salud de las personas. Esto convierte a la evaluación de instrumentos de ...medida de la ID en un tema importante de investigación. Por ello, el objetivo principal de este estudio es evaluar las propiedades psicométricas de la versión de 3 factores del cuestionario Athletic Identity Measure Scale (AIMS) (B. W. Brewer & Cornelius, 2001) en una muestra de alumnado universitario con discapacidad. Además, también se busca conocer si difiere o no la ID según diversas variables de interés (sexo, edad, nivel socioeconómico, índice de masa corporal (IMC), tipo y grado de discapacidad y el origen de la discapacidad –adquirida/congénita–). Para ello, se realizó un estudio transversal mediante la aplicación del AIMS a 683 (343 hombres, 340 mujeres) universitarios españoles con discapacidad. La estructura factorial se validó mediante un análisis factorial confirmatorio y se realizaron correlaciones de Spearman para valorar la validez criterial. La fiabilidad se evaluó mediante el coeficiente Alfa de Cronbach. Los resultados mostraron unos buenos índices de ajuste (χ211= 55.571 (p < .001); CFI = .995; RMSEA = .077 (.058 - .098); WRMR= .549) y una buena consistencia interna en el factor de segundo orden (α = .87), y en los de primer orden, identidad social (α = .76), exclusividad (α = .89) y afectividad negativa (α = .72). La versión AIMS de 3 factores resulta, por tanto, un instrumento válido y fiable para estudiar la ID del alumnado universitario con discapacidad. Los hombres alcanzaron mayores valores que las mujeres en la ID, mientras que el alumnado con obesidad obtuvo valores inferiores a los alcanzados por el alumnado con infrapeso o normopeso.
The paper presents a national level Swedish project aimed at examining adolescent student-athletes' dual career experiences (including sport, studies, and private life) during their first year at ...national elite sport schools (Swedish abbreviation RIGs will be used) with a particular focus on development of their athletic and student identities. The developmental model of transitions faced by athletes (Wylleman & Lavallee, 2004) and the athletic career transition model (Stambulova, 2003) served as underlying frameworks.
A longitudinal mixed-method research design was used with autumn-to-spring quantitative and qualitative parts.
Sixteen year old student-athletes, representing 27 sports and 33 RIGs (n = 261 in the first and n = 250 in the second measurement), completed three quantitative instruments. Additionally, in-depth interviews were conducted with 10 participants.
Results revealed (a) significant changes in the participants' transition/adaptation variables from the first to the second measurement accompanied by rather high perceived quality of adjustment at RIG both at the beginning and at the end of the educational year; (b) significant contributions of the transition variables to the perceived quality of adjustment with personal resources as a key predictor; (c) significantly higher athletic than student identity in both quantitative measurements, but with inter- and intra-individual differences with regard to balancing the two shown by the qualitative data.
The study contributes to deeper understanding of dual career experiences of Swedish adolescent athletes; the authors provide recommendations for psychological dual career support services at RIGs and outline future research in the Swedish dual career model.
•Dual career of Swedish athletes at national elite sport schools (RIGs) is examined.•Definition of an optimal dual career balance is suggested.•Recommendations are provided in regards to dual career support services at RIGs.•The Swedish dual career model is proposed as an agenda for future research.
This research aimed to understand the coping and wellbeing of dual-career athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 159 dual-career athletes completed a series of questionnaires that aimed to ...identify the coping strategies and their impact on the wellbeing of respondents during COVID-19 restrictions. The survey included measures of coping, wellbeing, burnout, and identity along with open-ended questions with the focus of change, coping, and support. Findings identified three coping approaches that have been employed by dual-career athletes: positive coping, negative coping, and acceptance. The three coping approaches also showed distinct wellbeing and burnout profiles. The negative coping group showed high indicators of burnout and poor wellbeing, whereas the acceptance group showed the highest scores on wellbeing and low indications of burnout. Based on the findings, it is recommended that dual-career support providers and stakeholders consider how best to support athletes that have not coped well and have experienced wellbeing issues during this time. It is also important to recognise the benefit a dual-career has provided to some individuals during this period.
The purpose of this study was to examine the manifestation of the unique cultural backdrop of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) (the historical and political underpinnings of the GAA; the ...promotion of elite GAA athletes as amateurs despite the increased professionalism in the sports; the significance of the club culture in the GAA) in the athletic identity of elite GAA dual career athletes (DCAs). A mixed methods research (MMR) design was adopted using quantitative and qualitative elements. Elite GAA DCAs (n = 9) representing the sports of hurling and Gaelic football simultaneously completed the Athletic Identity Measurement Scale (AIMS) and engaged in semi-structured interviews. Athletic identity data were analysed from the completed AIMS and semi-structured interview data were analysed using a 6-step thematic analysis as per Braun et al. (2016). Eight of the DCAs measured "high" on the AIMS and athletic identities were largely reflective of the elite athlete performance narrative in line with the increased professionalism in the sports. The impact of the club culture in the GAA was evident particularly in the public athletic identity, exclusivity, and negative affectivity dimensions of athletic identity. The niche cultural backdrop of the GAA was manifest in all four dimensions of athletic identity in elite GAA DCAs, with the impact variable on an individual basis. This, along with the prevalence of an elite athlete performance narrative in the expression of their athletic identity needs to be considered regarding dual career (DC) engagement and support.
The development of identity formation occurs during adolescence through experiences, ideals and principle. With greater accessibility to sports, recent trends have shown increased rates of sports ...specialization over the past decade in youth athletes. Athletic identity measures the strength an individual is tied to the athlete role and can be formed in conjunction to adolescent identity formation. More specialized youth athletes may have stronger ties to their athletic identity during their adolescent identity formation period.
Youth basketball athletes were surveyed on specialization levels and athletic identity via the Athletic Identity Measurement Scale (AIMS), including three submeasures: social identity, exclusivity, and negative affectivity.
Participants showed stronger identification to social identity items and the weakest identification with exclusivity items. Athletes reporting more time spent playing their primary sport presented higher scores across all measures of athletic identity, and total athletic identity was stronger in athletes reporting specialization at an earlier age. Exclusivity and negative affectivity tended to increase with specialization level which may primarily be driven by specialized athletes choosing to quit non-primary sports.
Athletic identity may be worth noting as a psychological indicator of potential risk of injury. The long-term goal of this work is to provide the research and clinical community a greater understanding of a potential psychosocial risk factor as youth athletes continue specializing and spending more time training in a singular sport.
목적 본 연구는 청소년 축구선수의 선수정체성을 탐색하고 시간의 경과에 따른 선수정체성 추이를 검토한 후 선수정체성 추이 변화의 시사를 탐색할 목적으로 진행하였다.
방법 본 연구는 2005년 93명, 2021년 94명의 중·고등학생 축구선수를 대상으로 개방형설문을 진행하였다. 귀납적내용분석 후 2005년과 2021년 축구선수 정체성 범주의 빈도비율 추이를 ...산출하여 선수정체성 추이 변화의 시사를 도출하였다.
결과 청소년 축구선수의 선수정체성은 2005년 811개, 2021년 741개의 원자료를 토대로 각각 19개의 세부영역으로, 19개 세부영역은 5개 일반영역으로 범주화하였다. 축구선수 정체성은 종목 분화 경향을, 학생으로서의 정체성은 강화, 합숙소의 역할은 약화, 사생활은 점차 보장되고 있다. 지난 20년 동안 선수학습권 보장을 위한 노력이 선수에게 수용, 합숙소 생활의 해체 가속화, 신체적 유능감 지각 변화는 타고난 선수의 감소를 시사한다.
결론 축구선수의 정체성과 정체성 형성에 사회문화적 맥락과 제도변화, 사회변동 등이 반영된다. 2002 월드컵 이후 축구와 교육 제도 변화는 개인생활이 제약된 합숙소에서 교실의 수업과 거리를 두고 축구만을 하던 축구선수를 개인생활을 확보하고 합숙소를 나와 교실로 향하는 축구선수로 변화시키고 있다.
PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to understand the athletic identity of youth football players and to trace its changing trend. METHODS Participants of this study included 93 players in 2005 and 94 players in 2021, who were in middle and high schools. All participants answered open-ended questionnaires. After the results of the inductive content analysis, the changing trend of the results was assessed. RESULTS The athletic identity of youth football players were collected from 811 raw data samples collected in 2005 and 741 collected in 2021 and categorized into 19 sub-categories and 5 categories. The results show a tendency to be specific to football. The athletic identity of a football player itself is weakening, being replaced by the identity of being a student. The role of the camp is also weakening, while more privacy and autonomy are allowed to the players. As a result, efforts to secure the players’ right to study were accepted by the players, and expected to decrease as camp life with limited privacy is on the decline, and as senses toward one’s physical competence are changing. CONCLUSIONS Sociocultural contexts, including changes in the system and social modifications, are reflected in the football player's athletic identity and its changes. The athletic identity of youth football players has changed from its 2005 version of unacademic camp life with limited privacy to the 2021 version, where the player leaves camp to be provided with privacy and attend classes.
While youth sports benefits the developing athlete, athletes may also be subject to injury and subsequent return-to-sport protocols. The current return-to-sport criteria emphasize physical measures; ...however, psychological measures may also be valuable to inform providers of an athlete's readiness. One such measure is athletic identity defined as the degree to which an individual identifies with the athlete role. To better understand athletic identity in return-to-sport, this study aimed to identify relationships and trends between the Athletic Identity Measurement Scale (AIMS), demographic variables, sport participation measures, and the Athletic Coping Skills Inventory-28 (ACSI-28) in youth athletes during rehabilitation following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR).
A retrospective review was completed of patients who underwent ACLR at a sports medicine clinic between October 2019 and May 2021. Patients responded to a series of patient reported outcomes (PROs) regarding physical and psychological function at a pre-surgical baseline and after 1 year of rehabilitation. Patients were then divided into groups of high/low AIMS and an increased/decreased AIMS between 1 year and baseline for comparison. Independent samples t-tests and ANOVAs were performed as appropriate with a 95% confidence interval.
In the final sample, 87 patients (15.3 ± 1.8 years) were included, with 51.7% being females. Total AIMS scores decreased from 50.3 to 47.5 over rehabilitation (
= 0.019). Furthermore, results indicated that nearly all AIMS scores decreased during rehabilitation, with none showing an increase; however, not all domains were significant. Conversely, all sport participation and coping ability PROs increased over time points except for ACSI-Confidence and Achievement Motivation. Generally, those in the groups with high AIMS and an increase in AIMS also had higher scores in physical function and coping ability PROs, with the groups separated by high/low AIMS exhibiting more frequent statistical significance.
Given these results, it appears that athletes may lose identification with the athlete role after ACLR and struggle even 1 year for rehabilitation, but those who recover athletic identity the best may also be those able to cope most effectively with the stressors induced by injury.
Superstition exists in every culture, and particularly in sports. This study aimed to develop a reliable and valid Sports Superstition Attitude Scale (SSAS) and test the influences of superstition on ...athletes’ behavior. Study #1 developed an initial SSAS draft and examined content validity and reliability. Study #2 examined SSAS factorial structure and construct validity. Study #3 tested hypothesized relationships among athletic identity, locus of control, superstition, and fear of failure. Results found by SSAS comprised three components: ritual and taboo, lucky charms, and folk culture, and showed appropriate construct validity and reliability. Theoretical model examination found that athletic identity and external control interact with superstition to predict fear of failure. We concluded that the 15-item three-factor SSAS is a reliable and valid sport-specific superstition measure that can be used in future studies. We suggest future studies examine how psychosocial factors influence athletes’ behavior and superstition. Limitations and suggestions for future study are also discussed.
