Abstract
The purpose of this study was to explore female athletes' experiences of positive growth following deselection from provincial sport teams. Interviews were conducted with 18 females (M age = 22.45 years, SD = 1.38) who were deselected from provincial soccer, ice-hockey, and volleyball teams as adolescents. Interpretative phenomenological analysis methodology (Smith, Flowers, & Larkin, 2009) was used. Analysis was guided by Tedeschi and Calhoun's (2004) model of posttraumatic growth. Results showed that participants questioned their identity and ability as an athlete following deselection. Growth was a gradual process that unfolded over several years, experienced through a greater appreciation of the role of sport in their lives and sport becoming a priority, an enhanced sense of personal strength, developing closer social relationships, and a recognition of new and other opportunities. These findings demonstrate the applicability of a model of posttraumatic growth in sport, and show that cognitive processes and social relationships are critical components in the process of positive growth.
