Year 3 Week 2 Psychology
Identity during critical moments in sport
Aims:
● To introduce the concept of critical moments and identity within sport.
● To critically examine the way in which identity is challenged during critical
moments in sport and the psychological impact on athletes.
● To examine the role of the sports psychologist in supporting athletes during
critical moment
Identity
Who a person is or the qualities of a person or group that make them different from others.
Identity through an athletic lens
Athletic identity can be defined as ‘the degree to which an individual identifies with the athlete
role, and looks to others for acknowledgement of that role’ (Brewer et al., 1993, p. 237)
Has both cognitive and social structures…
Role of the person and environment
Interaction between the person and the environment
Identity and performance
Strong athletic identity has potential psychosocial benefits for athletic performance:
● Increased motivation
● Positive sporting experiences
● Higher level of social interaction
Lamont-Mills and Christensen (2006) explored the relationship between athletic identity and
performance:
● Individuals who compared at an elite level scored higher on the AIMS scale when
compared with non elite and recreational counterparts
● Not good context within this study (results expected given the circumstances)
Despite these benefits, evidence to suggest the potential dangers of athletic identity especially
for youth sport participants who are developmentally at the stage of exploring who they aspire to
become (Kerr & Dacyshyn, 2000; Warriner & Lavallee, 2008).
Increased demands of elite sport systems for youth athletes that require them to dedicate their
time to training, competition and other sport related content the development of other equally
important roles within oneself (and society) if often restricted and results in athletes who are one
dimensional.
Narrowing and identity foreclosure…
Smooth transition - continual selection - strong athletic identity
, Existential psychology and identity
From an existential standpoint, identity can be viewed as the process of interpreting and making
meaning of our tacit, lived experience of being in the world with the symbols (e.g. narratives)
that are at our disposal (Richert, 2002).
Kierkegaard (1989) argued that the self is not a fixed entity, rather it lies in the changing
complex relationships that humans have with their ‘being’ (Ronkainen & Nesti, 2017).
Career Transitions and Identity
Elite sport is relatively short term
Culturally it's ‘all or nothing’, when it could be more than the one
Public attention
For some, a career transition is complex
Termination and within career injury
The problem…
Literature hasn't acknowledged and adequately described the daily experiences of athletes,
opting instead to primarily focus on career termination issues. Use models and literature, but
dont think theyre the be all and end all, critique them as well. What context is there?
Identity during critical moments in sport
Aims:
● To introduce the concept of critical moments and identity within sport.
● To critically examine the way in which identity is challenged during critical
moments in sport and the psychological impact on athletes.
● To examine the role of the sports psychologist in supporting athletes during
critical moment
Identity
Who a person is or the qualities of a person or group that make them different from others.
Identity through an athletic lens
Athletic identity can be defined as ‘the degree to which an individual identifies with the athlete
role, and looks to others for acknowledgement of that role’ (Brewer et al., 1993, p. 237)
Has both cognitive and social structures…
Role of the person and environment
Interaction between the person and the environment
Identity and performance
Strong athletic identity has potential psychosocial benefits for athletic performance:
● Increased motivation
● Positive sporting experiences
● Higher level of social interaction
Lamont-Mills and Christensen (2006) explored the relationship between athletic identity and
performance:
● Individuals who compared at an elite level scored higher on the AIMS scale when
compared with non elite and recreational counterparts
● Not good context within this study (results expected given the circumstances)
Despite these benefits, evidence to suggest the potential dangers of athletic identity especially
for youth sport participants who are developmentally at the stage of exploring who they aspire to
become (Kerr & Dacyshyn, 2000; Warriner & Lavallee, 2008).
Increased demands of elite sport systems for youth athletes that require them to dedicate their
time to training, competition and other sport related content the development of other equally
important roles within oneself (and society) if often restricted and results in athletes who are one
dimensional.
Narrowing and identity foreclosure…
Smooth transition - continual selection - strong athletic identity
, Existential psychology and identity
From an existential standpoint, identity can be viewed as the process of interpreting and making
meaning of our tacit, lived experience of being in the world with the symbols (e.g. narratives)
that are at our disposal (Richert, 2002).
Kierkegaard (1989) argued that the self is not a fixed entity, rather it lies in the changing
complex relationships that humans have with their ‘being’ (Ronkainen & Nesti, 2017).
Career Transitions and Identity
Elite sport is relatively short term
Culturally it's ‘all or nothing’, when it could be more than the one
Public attention
For some, a career transition is complex
Termination and within career injury
The problem…
Literature hasn't acknowledged and adequately described the daily experiences of athletes,
opting instead to primarily focus on career termination issues. Use models and literature, but
dont think theyre the be all and end all, critique them as well. What context is there?
