The Socioeconomic Profile of the Greek Women’s National Volleyball Team

Abstract

Top performance in volleyball comes as a result of specific physiological, kinesiological, psychological, and environmental influences of both natural and social surroundings. The purpose of this study was to examine the social and economic features of the Greek women’s national volleyball team, in order to identify which of the above factors distinguish and promote top female athletes.The study sample involved 18 female volleyball athletes, who were active members of the national team for on average 4.7±2.6 years. The athletes’ mean age was 23.4±3.1 years, athletic age 10.6±3.2 years, and training age 11.4±2.4 years. The study was conducted by using a special questionnaire about the athletes’ socio-economic features. Specifically, the athletes’ family and social environment, the impact of their family and social environment, and their profession and financial staus were recorded and assessed. The frequency analysis showed that in the female athletes’ families, boys never outnumbered girls and they were mainly second-born children. Their family environment loved or had a special connection with sports and showed total support towards their involvement in sports. Also, they were salaried and basically dealt with sports as their sole occupation. In conclusion, the sociological approach of the top Greek women volleyball athletes forms an original sociolcultural database, which could provide useful information concerning the specific population groups that might bring forward female athletes with high potential.