Fragmenting Feminine-Athletic Identities: Identity Turning Points During Girls’ Transition into High School

Abstract

This study employed a turning point analysis to document events that influence the development of athletic identities in female athletes transitioning into high school. All participants ( N = 28), between the ages of 14–15 years old, belonged to a competitive club soccer team located in the southwestern United States. Through an analysis of pre- and post-season interviews and bi-weekly video journal entries, data revealed several fragmenting turning point events related to participants’ athletic identity development. These fragmenting turning points paired with the communication theory of identity (CTI) framework highlighted three identity gaps: (a) athletic-relational, (b) athletic-communal, and (c) athletic-enacted. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed regarding turning points in relation to athletic identity development and gender disparities in sport participation.