Abstract
Athletic identifi cation indicates the level of person’s identifi cation with a role of an athlete. Different levels of sports identifi cations are typical of all people: those who are sports professionals as well as those who only exercise. The students at the Lithuanian Academy of Physical Education (LAPE) are prepared to be sports coaches and teachers of physical education, and only some students choose the career of a professional athlete, so their identifi cation with sports activities at the academy and their athletic identifi cation might be rather different. The aim of the research was to reveal the manifestation of would-be physical education and sports specialists’ athletic identifi cation at the institution of higher education. The empirical research involved the triangulation of qualitative and quantitative methods. The questionnaire was used to determine the general tendencies of the research participants’ athletic identifi cation, and the interview was meant to establish its content and specifi c features. The research results have important implications for the personnel of the institutions of higher education attemp-ting to facilitate student personal growth through participation in sports activities. The links of students’ athletic identifi cation with the variables in the higher school environment shows the presence of a pervasive athletic culture (Ferris et al., 2004) which results in the educational experience at the Academy. Athletic culture is experienced by students — athletes during their years of competitive, educational, and social development. Students — athletes’ fi rst contact with university environment is mediated through institutions — friends, coaches, practice and competitions. In some cases these factors increase athletes’ satisfaction with collegiate experience and promote continued persistence toward a degree. Research results let us conclude that athletic identifi cation at the institution of higher education is determined by students’ activity in sports, their sports aspirations and plans, evaluations of sporting conditions at the higher school and perception of the importance of sports activities. Athletic culture at the institution of higher education is both the precondition and the outcome of students’ favorable athletic identifi cation. Research revealed the links between the manifestation of students’ athletic identifi cation and the following sociodemographic and other factors: gender, academic achievements and academic identifi cation, sports aspirations, living place, professional identifi cation, feelings and the evaluation of their higher school.Keywords: athletic identification, athletic culture, institution of higher education.
Highlights
At the institutions of higher education academic personnel have been widely interested in the determinants of students’ self perceptions as well as the degree to which such perceptions pervade various achievement domains
The students at the Lithuanian Academy of Physical Education (LAPE) are prepared to be sports coaches and teachers of physical education, and only some students choose the career of a professional athlete, so their identification with sports activities at the academy and their athletic identification might be rather different
It is quite natural that 74.7% of those who sought for sports results were would-be sports coaches, and only 25.3% — teachers of physical education
Summary
At the institutions of higher education academic personnel have been widely interested in the determinants of students’ self perceptions as well as the degree to which such perceptions pervade various achievement domains. One of their viewpoints is that sport participation of students contributes to the perceptions in nonsport related areas. Research evidence suggests that participation in sports activities is related to greater prosocial attitudes among young people (Ryska, 2002). Though sport involvement might have significant potential impact on the perceptions, attitudes and behaviors of students, little empirical research is carried out regarding how the nature of higher school sport experience may impact other experiences and perceptions among its participants. Initial sport research indicates that the athletic role constitutes a meaningful dimension of self-identity
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