Organized team sport is a popular activity for American youth. While sport participation is associated with many positive health outcomes, the opportunity to continue participating in organized, structured sports declines with age. Sport participation is also associated with athletic identity, an aspect of personal identity that is the extent to which individuals identify with the athlete role. While athletic identity is often studied in the context of negative consequences that can occur when the athlete role is disrupted or discontinued, there are also positive associations with continued identification as an athlete, particularly regarding health behaviors such as exercise. Lifestyle sports are a way that individuals can continue participating in sport-related activities throughout life, potentially continuing the beneficial elements of athletic identity. The current study seeks to explore the relationship between athletic identity and health behaviors. More specifically, it examines this relationship in lifestyle sport contexts independent of formal organized sports such as high school or college athletics. Results showed that athletic identity is positively related to exercise frequency, recreational sport participation, and health behaviors. Moreover, these associations were found regardless of past experience in a formal athlete role. Results have implications in identifying the potential for athletic identity to positively influence health, particularly in activity settings that are more inclusive and lifestyle-oriented than formal, organized team sports.
| [1] | Aspen Institute (2018). The state of play 2018: Trends and developments. |
| [2] | National Federation of State High School Associations (2018). High school sports participation increases for 29th consecutive year. Retrieved from https://nfhs.org/articles/high-school-sports-participation-increases-for-29th-consecutive-year/ |
| [3] | National Center for Education Statistics (2019). Fast facts: Back to school statistics. Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/ |
| [4] | Alfano C.M., Klesges R.C., Murray D.M., Beech B.M., & McClanahan B.S. (2002). History of sport participation in relation to obesity and related health behaviors in women. Preventive Medicine, 34(1), 82-89.View Article PubMed |
| [5] | Wickel, E.E. & Eisenmann, J.C. (2007). Contribution of youth sport to total daily physical activity among 6- to 12-year-old boys. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 39(9), 1493-1500.View Article PubMed |
| [6] | Nelson, T.F., Stovitz, S.D., Thomas, M.T, LaVoi, N.M., Baer, K.W., &Neumark-Sztainer, D. (2015). Do youth sports prevent pediatric obesity? A systematic review and commentary. Current Sports Medicine Reports, 10(6), 360-370.View Article PubMed |
| [7] | Pate, R.R., Trost, S.G., Levin, S., & Dowda, M. (2000). Sports participation and health-related behaviors among U.S. youth. Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, 154(9), 904-911.View Article PubMed |
| [8] | Eime, R.M., Harvey, J.T., Charty, M.J., Casey, M.M., Westerbeek, H., & Payne, W.R. (2016). Age profiles of sport participants. BMC Sports Science, Medicine, and Rehabilitation, 8(6).View Article PubMed |
| [9] | Kirk, D. (2005). Physical education, youth sport, and lifelong participation: The importance of early learning experiences. European Physical Education Review, 11(3), 239-55.View Article |
| [10] | National Collegiate Athletic Association (2018). Probability of competing in sports beyond high school. Retrieved from http://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/research/probability-competing-beyond-high-school |
| [11] | Wiechman, S. A., & Williams, J. (1997). Relation of athletic identity to injury and mood disturbance. Journal of Sport Behavior, 20(2), 199-210. |
| [12] | Brewer, B.W., Van Raalte, J., & Linder, D.E. (1993). Athletic identity: Hercules’ muscles or Achilles heel? International Journal of Sport Psychology, 24, 237-254.View Article |
| [13] | Brown, G., & Potrac, P. (2009). ‘You’ve not made the grade, son’: De-selection and identity disruption in elite level youth football. Soccer & Society, 10(2), 143-159.View Article |
| [14] | Pearson, R.E., & Petitpas, A.J. (1990). Transitions of athletes: Developmental and preventive perspectives. Journal of Counseling and Development, 69(1), 7-10.View Article |
| [15] | Anderson, C. E. (2004). Athletic identity and its relation to exercise behavior: Scale development and initial validation. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 26, 39-56.View Article |
| [16] | Brewer, B.W., Cornelius, A.E., Van Raalte, J.L., Tennen, H., & Armeli, S. (2013). Predictors of adherence to home rehabilitation exercises following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Rehabilitation Psychology, 58(1), 64-72.View Article PubMed |
| [17] | Horton, R.S., & Mack, D.E. (2000). Athletic identity in marathon runners: Functional focus or dysfunctional commitment? Journal of Sport Behavior, 23(2), 101–119. |
| [18] | Downs, A., & Ashton, J. (2011). Vigorous physical activity, sports participation, and athletic identity: Implications for mental and physical health in college students. Journal of Sport Behavior, 34(3), 228-249. |
| [19] | Reifsteck, E.J., Gill, D.L. & Brooks, D.L. (2013). The relationship between athletic identity and physical activity among former college athletes. Athletic Insight, 5(3), 271-284 |
| [20] | Wheaton, B. (2010). Introducing the consumption and representation of lifestyle sports. Sport in Society, 13(7), 1057-1081View Article |
| [21] | Eime, R.M., Sawyer, N., Harvey, J.T., Casey, M.M., Westerbeek, H., & Payne, W.R. (2015). Integrating public health and sport management: Sport participation trends 2001-2010. Sport Management Review, 18(2), 207-217.View Article |
| [22] | Oja, P., Titze, S., Kokko, S., Kujala, U.M., Heinonen, A., Kelly, P., Koski, P., Foster, C. (2015). Health benefits of different sports disciplines for adults: Systematic review of observational and intervention studies with meta-analysis. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 49, 434-440.View Article PubMed |
| [23] | Vasold, K.L. Deere S.J. & Pivarnik, J.M. (2019). Benefits of campus recreation: Results of the 2011-2016 recreation & wellness benchmark. Corvallis, OR: NIRSA. |
| [24] | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2019). Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/brfss/questionnaires/index.htm |
| [25] | Pierannunzi, C., Hu, S.S., & Balluz, L. (2013). A systematic review of publications assessing reliability and validity of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), 2004–2011. BMC Medical Research Methodology, (13)49, 1-14.View Article PubMed |
| [26] | Hoaglin, D.C., and Inglewicz, B. (1987). Fine tuning some resistant rules for outlier labeling. Journal of American Statistical Association, 82, 1147-1149.View Article |
| [27] | Hatcher, L. (2003). Step-By-Step Basic Statistics Using SAS. Cary, NC: SAS Institute, Inc. |
