Exploring the interplay between academic and athletic identities among elite student athletes in tertiary education in Ireland
The pursuit of higher education presents unique challenges for elite student-athletes, who must balance academic responsibilities with the demands of athletic performance. Understanding how these individuals manage these dual roles is crucial for developing effective support systems in academic and...
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Levent Ceylan
2024-09-01
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| Series: | ROL Spor Bilimleri Dergisi |
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| Online Access: | https://www.roljournal.com/index.php/rol/article/view/453 |
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| author | Conor Whelan Alan Yates |
| author_facet | Conor Whelan Alan Yates |
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The pursuit of higher education presents unique challenges for elite student-athletes, who must balance academic responsibilities with the demands of athletic performance. Understanding how these individuals manage these dual roles is crucial for developing effective support systems in academic and athletic settings. This study investigated the interplay between academic and athletic identities among elite student-athletes in Ireland, focusing on the influence of motivation and social support. Data were collected using a cross-sectional online survey from 100 elite student-athletes, defined as individuals participating in elite-level sports while enrolled in full-time tertiary education in Ireland. The survey included validated measures of academic identity, athletic identity, motivation, and social support. The results show that the majority of participants identified primarily as student-athletes, with greater emphasis on their academic careers. Motivation was a significant predictor of both academic and athletic identities, while social support had no significant effect. These findings challenge the assumption that elite student-athletes predominantly prioritise their athletic roles and underscore the importance of fostering intrinsic motivation. Institutions are encouraged to implement tailored interventions, such as academic mentorship and flexible academic policies, to support student-athletes in balancing their dual careers. Future research should explore the underlying factors behind the minimal impact of social support and further examine motivation-based interventions.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-68e30d744e7d4a94a3f273d78fae6db8 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2717-9508 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-09-01 |
| publisher | Levent Ceylan |
| record_format | Article |
| series | ROL Spor Bilimleri Dergisi |
| spelling | doaj-art-68e30d744e7d4a94a3f273d78fae6db82025-01-02T05:06:24ZengLevent CeylanROL Spor Bilimleri Dergisi2717-95082024-09-015310.5281/zenodo.12731428Exploring the interplay between academic and athletic identities among elite student athletes in tertiary education in IrelandConor Whelan0Alan Yates1The Open University, Department of Psychology, London, EnglandThe Open University, Department of Psychology, London, England The pursuit of higher education presents unique challenges for elite student-athletes, who must balance academic responsibilities with the demands of athletic performance. Understanding how these individuals manage these dual roles is crucial for developing effective support systems in academic and athletic settings. This study investigated the interplay between academic and athletic identities among elite student-athletes in Ireland, focusing on the influence of motivation and social support. Data were collected using a cross-sectional online survey from 100 elite student-athletes, defined as individuals participating in elite-level sports while enrolled in full-time tertiary education in Ireland. The survey included validated measures of academic identity, athletic identity, motivation, and social support. The results show that the majority of participants identified primarily as student-athletes, with greater emphasis on their academic careers. Motivation was a significant predictor of both academic and athletic identities, while social support had no significant effect. These findings challenge the assumption that elite student-athletes predominantly prioritise their athletic roles and underscore the importance of fostering intrinsic motivation. Institutions are encouraged to implement tailored interventions, such as academic mentorship and flexible academic policies, to support student-athletes in balancing their dual careers. Future research should explore the underlying factors behind the minimal impact of social support and further examine motivation-based interventions. https://www.roljournal.com/index.php/rol/article/view/453Dual Career Student AthletesElite Student AthletesIdentityMotivationTertiary Education |
| spellingShingle | Conor Whelan Alan Yates Exploring the interplay between academic and athletic identities among elite student athletes in tertiary education in Ireland ROL Spor Bilimleri Dergisi Dual Career Student Athletes Elite Student Athletes Identity Motivation Tertiary Education |
| title | Exploring the interplay between academic and athletic identities among elite student athletes in tertiary education in Ireland |
| title_full | Exploring the interplay between academic and athletic identities among elite student athletes in tertiary education in Ireland |
| title_fullStr | Exploring the interplay between academic and athletic identities among elite student athletes in tertiary education in Ireland |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring the interplay between academic and athletic identities among elite student athletes in tertiary education in Ireland |
| title_short | Exploring the interplay between academic and athletic identities among elite student athletes in tertiary education in Ireland |
| title_sort | exploring the interplay between academic and athletic identities among elite student athletes in tertiary education in ireland |
| topic | Dual Career Student Athletes Elite Student Athletes Identity Motivation Tertiary Education |
| url | https://www.roljournal.com/index.php/rol/article/view/453 |
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