Block and Tackle or Interfere: Student-Athletes Identities & Well-Being

Athletic and academic identities among college student-athletes have been identified as important determinants of their academic achievement, career preparation, and sport termination. However, less is known about how these two identities, independently or simultaneously may be related to student-athletes’ overall (e.g., levels of optimism and happiness) or sport-wellbeing (e.g., satisfaction with one’s sport performance). To this end, the purpose of the study was to examine how student-athletes’ academic and athletic identities are associated with their overall and sport well-being in a U.S. national sample of 241 Division I student-athletes. I also examined whether the relationship between these two identities and well-being would be moderated by the student-athletes’ year in school, gender, or race. Because this study took place during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (Summer of 2020), I also explored whether interruptions to school and sport activities due to the pandemic would also affect student-athletes reported overall and sport well-being. Results showed a significant positive relationship between academic identity and overall well-being, and a negative relationship between athletic identity and sport well-being. Additionally, year in school and race were significant correlates of sport well-being, with lowerclassmen student-athletes (first- and second-year students) and White student-athletes reporting higher levels of sport well-being than their counterparts. Race and gender were also significant predictors of overall well-being. Specifically, male student-athletes and White student-athletes reported higher levels of overall well-being than student-athletes identifying as female or as a person of color. Finally, results also indicated that COVID-19 were negatively associated with participants’ overall and sport well-being. However, the relationship between academic nor athletic identity and well-being (i.e., overall, sport well-being) were not moderated by self-reported rage, gender, year in school, or COVID-19 interruptions. After a review of the current literature and its limitations, findings and implications for practice with student-athletes are discussed.