MST-Department of Recreation Management & Exercise Science

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Browsing MST-Department of Recreation Management & Exercise Science by Subject "Athlete Identity"

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    Athlete Identity and Satisfaction of Student-Athletes in Selected Universities in Kenya
    (Kenyatta University, 2023) Kurui, Ishmael Kiprono; Francis M.Mwangi; Agnes W. Kamau
    Athletic Identity and Satisfaction are important aspects that form part of how a student-athlete perceives himself or herself and how they are viewed by society. Satisfied student-athletes perform better in sports and can feel more integrated into their teams. It remains unclear how athlete identity and satisfaction are influenced by student-athletes demographic characteristics of level of competition, year of study, age, and gender due to sparse literature, particularly in Kenya. The purpose of this study was to examine the status of selected Kenya University student-athletes identity and satisfaction. The specific objectives were to determine the status of athlete identity and satisfaction in relation to gender, age, year of study, and level of competition among selected Kenya University student-athletes, to examine the relationship between athlete identity and athletic satisfaction among selected Kenya University student-athletes, and to determine whether level of competition, age category, gender, and year of study have a significant influence on athlete identity and satisfaction among selected Kenya University student-athletes. Using an analytical cross-sectional design, the Athletic Identity Measurement Scale-Plus (AIMS-Plus), and the Athlete Satisfaction Questionnaire (ASQ), a total of 309 (52.4% males and 47.6% females) Kenya University student-athletes participated in the study. Results showed that female student-athletes had a slightly stronger athlete identity (4.00 ± 0.478) compared to males (3.93 ± 0.503), but Pearson correlation showed no statistically significant relationship between athlete identity and gender (r (308) = -0.064, p =.264). Female student-athletes had stronger athlete satisfaction (4.24 ± 0.443) than males (4.09 ± 0.576), and Pearson correlation revealed a statistically significant relationship based on gender of student-athletes (r (308) = -0.135, p =.017). Pearson correlation indicated a negative and statistically significant relationship between student-athlete self-identity and gender (r (308) = -0.171, p =.003). A linear multiple regression revealed that selected demographic characteristics such as level of competition, age category, gender, and year of study collectively explained a small proportion of change (3.5%) in student athlete identity (R2 adjusted =.035, F (4, 263) = 3.391, p =.010) and (3.2%) in athlete satisfaction (R2 adjusted =.032, F (4, 263) = 3.210, p =.013). It was concluded that the athlete identity of selected Kenya University student athletes is strong and similar between males and females. It was also concluded that Kenya University student-athletes have high levels of athlete satisfaction, which vary by gender. Furthermore, Kenya University student-athletes have a low perception of themselves as athletes (self-identity), which significantly varies by gender, where male student-athletes show a relatively weaker self-identity than their female counterparts. It was also noted that respondent demographic characteristics such as level of competition, year of study, age, and gender have a weak influence (3.2%) on athlete satisfaction among Kenya University student-athletes, where only level of competition and gender predicted athlete satisfaction. It was recommended that Kenya universities sports departments and sports practitioners, in collaboration with coaches, should design programs (such as student-athlete mentorship) to help student-athletes navigate rigorous training and competition schedules that affect their identity. Further studies are needed to investigate athlete identity and satisfaction beyond demographic characteristics, such as examining variables like coach leadership, education goals, and injuries, to present robust and comprehensive information and contribute to the sparse literature on the subject.