Identity in Sport

This article discusses what it means to be identifiable through a sport and the impact that can have on an individual.

Tiger Woods, Roger Federer and Simone Biles. Three of the biggest athletes in the sporting world. As LeBron James would immediately have us know, they are more than just athletes, of course they are, but at the same time it is almost impossible to see those three names and not think of Tiger Woods sinking yet another 100 yard putt, Roger Federer hitting one of his trademark backhands, or Simone Biles defying the laws of physics yet again. Certainly, not everyone would reach the dizzying heights these athletes have set, but an equal dedication to a sport could still earn them a tag of one known almost exclusively by that sport they play.

We all know a few of them: ‘Taiwo the Rugby guy’, ‘Mo the tennis whizz’, or ‘Hanna the gym freak’. The extent to which one is recognised by the sport they play is known as Athlete identity. Of course, it’s completely natural that the more you participate in something, the more that becomes a part of you. Athlete identity isn’t particularly a good or a bad thing, it all depends on the way you choose to look at it. On the one hand, a strong sense of belonging to a sport could bring about a resulting extra motivation that influences your performance, as well as provide a feeling of comfort when playing. On the same basis, however, failure at this sport, which in many ways defines you, could prove to be too damaging to accept at times.

Following from that, it seems as though only being known by the sport you play does a disservice to the rest of one’s personality. Being acknowledged through the sport you love might be warming, but it also must be frustrating when that one part of you starts to completely overshadow the other parts that still embody you. There is a hole that you fall into as soon as your attachment to a sport is recognised, it almost seems to limit your capabilities of being recognised for other qualities. And, as is the case with most things, the stereotyping ensues: from perhaps being classed as the dim-witted sports guy to being known only as the girl who spends way too much time at the gym. There isn’t much to suggest that identifying so closely with a sport puts out the best image of oneself.

Outside of all that, however, an even bigger problem is, what next after this sport? For many, the inability to continue with a sport—for whatever reason, from injury or retirement— that they’ve formed such a strong bond with, leads to a feeling of a loss of self-identity. This eventuality is all too real for those who have invested heavily in a sport professionally or otherwise. The next question tends to revolve around; well, who else am I? For some, continuing their love affair with the sport is possible, leading to coaching or analyst roles, but maybe the more fulfilling and certainly more challenging thing to do would be to find a new you, or at least a new part to you.