Résumé
Self-compassion, which includes self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness, is a useful resource to support athletes through setbacks, failures, and inadequacies. Despite demonstrated effectiveness of self-compassion interventions in sport, research suggests they could be enhanced if individualized. One way to tailor self-compassion interventions is by considering athletes’ identities. Our study explored self-compassion intervention preferences of athletes with intersecting and unfolding identities while also considering sport context. Using a qualitative narrative strategy of inquiry, nine student-athletes (5 men and 4 women) from various sports were individually interviewed. Athletes were introduced to self-compassion, discussed identity intersections, and completed a self-compassion exercise. Self-compassion intervention preferences and their potential link to identities were then shared through participants’ stories. Following the first interview, participants engaged in self-compassion practices and were invited to attend a follow-up member reflection interview. Participants represented a range of identities (e.g., athletic, academic, ethnic, spiritual, sexual orientation, and gender), with diverse intersections among them. Data were analyzed using a thematic narrative analysis. Five themes were generated from participant stories: (a) Clear Identities, Unclear Intersections, (b) “Some Garbage”: A Need to Personalize Self-Compassion Interventions, (c) An Evident but Blurry Bridge Between Identity and Self-Compassion, (d) Identity Roadblocks, and (e) Shifting Identities and Preferences. Across interviews, athletes recognized the importance of identity in their choice of self-compassion intervention preferences; however, our research highlights the complexity of this relationship and how best to tailor self-compassion intervention preferences to athletes remains a significant but important challenge for both researchers and practitioners.
