Abstract
Athletic identity (AI), the degree to which one identifies with the ‘athlete’ role, encompasses properties (i.e., prominence relative to other roles and effects on self-worth) and processes (social reinforcement and self-presentation). While Dionigi (2002) highlighted unique identity considerations of adult athletes, AI research has focused on youth and elite populations, largely overlooking adults. This study explored adult athletes’ experiences of AI and the personal, social, and cultural realties attributed to their AIs.
Eight adult athletes, aged 45-54, participated in elaborative think-aloud interviews (Koskey, 2016) using Athletic Identity Measurement Scale (AIMS3G; Brewer et al., 2022) items as prompts. Using critical realist thematic analysis (Christodoulou, 2024), participants’ experiences were categorized, and causal mechanisms were retroduced.
Intertwined psychological, social, and structural forces shaped adults’ AIs. AIs gained meaning from mastery and well-being, not solely competition. Life roles (parental, professional) challenged the prominence of adults’ AIs which necessitated negotiations for time, resources, and responsibilities. Aging forced adults to accept performance declines while resisting narratives of being “too old”. To protect their AIs, adults decoupled self-worth from performance and focused on personal growth. They navigated their self-presentation; some felt discomfort presenting with the ‘athlete’ label, whereas others used it to foster social connections. Finally, AIs were reinforced within supportive sport communities and shaped by generational gender norms and financial freedom.
In contrast to youth/elite athletes’ performance-focused AIs, adults’ AIs are characterized by continuous negotiations against the forces of aging, competing life roles, and deliberate management of how their AI interacts with their social worlds.
