Antecedents and Consequences of Student-Athletes’ Identity Profiles in Upper Secondary School

Abstract

The present study examined the identity profiles that upper-secondary-school Finnish student-athletes show, and the extent to which these profiles were associated with their athletic and academic achievements and withdrawal from sports and school. A total of 391 adolescent athletes (51% females) completed assessments of student and athletic identity four times during their time in upper secondary school. Using growth mixture modeling, three groups were identified: (a) dual identity (77%), (b) changing identity (5%), and (c) athletic identity (18%). The higher the academic achievement was at Time 1, the more likely the athletes were to show dual identity than athletic identity profile. Similarly, athletes with dual identity showed higher subsequent academic achievement at Time 4 than those with an athletic identity profile. Finally, athletes with dual identity were more likely and athletes with athletic identity less likely to withdraw from sport activities during upper secondary school than expected by chance.