Athlete identity and athlete satisfaction: The nonconformity of exclusivity

The goal of this study was to determine if there was a relationship between athletic identity, a relatively stable individual difference, and athlete satisfaction. A second goal was to evaluate the structure of athletic identity to examine potential differences between facets. Analyzing data from 175 NCAA student athletes, results indicated that use of overall athletic identity hid meaningful relationships between this self-identity concept and level of athlete satisfaction. When examined at the facet level, results indicated that athletic social identity and negative affectivity were positively related to athlete satisfaction while the exclusivity facet of athletic identity was negatively related to athlete satisfaction.

► We examine the relationships between athletic identity and athletic satisfaction.
► Social identity and negative affectivity are positively related with satisfaction.
► Exclusivity is negatively related to satisfaction.
► Athletic satisfaction has a strong dispositional component.
► Athletic identity is multifaceted and should be modeled this way.