Concept of Athletic Identity: Effects on Performance and Mental Health

        Athletics Identity   Student Institution Course Professor Date     Athletics Identity Athletics identity is an important concept that allows practitioners to understand issues affecting high-performing athletes. It is an important concept that informs key decision affecting athletes and how they perceive themselves. In summary, athletic identity refers to the level of “strength and exclusivity to which a person identifies with the athlete role or the degree to which one devotes special attention to sport relative to other engagements or activities in life” (Edison et al., 2021, p. 2). It determines the level of personal connection that an individual has towards the sport or activity. In this regard, the character usually influences the mental wellbeing of the person because it defines their behaviors, actions, and other aspects that influence their lives (Downs & Ashton, 2011). It is usually based on the concept of ‘self,’ which is basically what determines the emotions, feelings, and other actions of people in their lives (Kissinger et al., 2011). It is vital to understand the concept in order to assist athletes effectively. Through the concept, it is possible to apply different approaches or techniques in order to understand the main issues that affect their lives. This is the basis of solving the mental health issues experienced by athletes in the world. It is also important to have a comprehensive perspective on the benefits attained by a culture that supports athletes wellbeing in high performance sports (Giannone et al., 2017). Identity is usually a changing concept in the lives of people. Moreover, it is unconscious and always changes the sense of individuality. This also influences how a person establishes relationships with others in their areas of work (Graupensperger et al., 2020). In high performance sports, there are specific expectations that are imposed on athletes, which directly influence their mental status and how they act in certain environments or to certain stimuli. In the world, athletes are among the most unreached group regarding their mental wellbeing (Hebard & Lamberson, 2017). Therefore, there is a need for unified efforts that will ensure consistency and provide positive outcomes for the society. Proper counselling will ensure that athletes can attain effective mental healthcare services. Due to the lack of proper understanding of the athletic identity, there is minimal mental healthcare opportunities for the people (Edison et al., 2021). There is a need to ensure that the needs of these people are addressed and provide pathways to support their needs. The interventions must be culturally sensitive to the specific needs of the clients, creating avenues to support their wellbeing and optimize their performance in the profession (Lamont-Mills & Christensen, 2006). Therefore, a culture that supports athletes wellbeing will eliminate negative mental health challenges and ensure that sportsmen have positive experiences in their day-to-day lives. It is also important to create incentives for training practitioners that can directly engage and participate in sporting activities. This will ensure that they are able to understand the challenges that athletes’ experiences as well as the measures that can eradicate these challenges (Proios, 2012). The aim is to reduce the mental health problems and optimize performance of athletes. Through the concept of athletics identity, individuals can build an identity around their sport and always look to others for acknowledgement of their input or performance. Therefore, it is formulating the central idea where a person identifies themselves (Ryska, 2002). Through the participation in high performance sports, the person is making a statement to other people. Therefore, there is a need to understand the statement and acknowledge the mental investment that goes into the actions being made. The identity is usually developed when a person trains and acquires certain skills that allow them to perform effectively in certain sports. The skills also enhance the confidence of the person, which establishes the social and emotional interaction between the person and other people (Tušak et al., 2005). In this regard, it is important to understand that team sports play an important role in the development of social and emotional recognition the person. There is always a need to have comprehensive knowledge to cope with the challenges arising from the high-performance sports (Heird & Steinfeldt, 2013). Through an athletics identity, individuals are able to interpret information, determine the coping measures and abilities, and how to navigate through situations that can affect one’s career. Therefore, the athletic identity informs the behaviors and attitudes that align with the sport. This is important in ensuring that there is co...