| Abstract [eng] |
Subject. The meaning of adolescents' experiences of success and failure in sport for their identity formation. Research problem. Adolescence is a crucial period for the formation of identity and values among teenagers, and experiences during this phase can have a significant impact. Sports represent one of the forms of leisure activities for adolescents, during which they encounter various challenges – victories and losses. The successes and failures experienced by teenagers in the context of sports can significantly impact their identity formation, but the influence of these experiences and the determining factors have not been sufficiently explored. Research Objective. To describe the experiences of success and failure among adolescent athletes and their connections to identity formation. Research Participants. 8 adolescents engaged in individual sports; age: 15-17 years. Research Method. The research method - qualitative. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Research Findings. The findings focused on three themes. One of them reveals that sports structure daily life, leisure, and self-perception, teach goal-setting, boost self-confidence, and foster a sense of responsibility. However, it is challenging to balance sports with school. Adolescents are motivated to participate in sports by the support of parents and coaches, while they expect understanding from peers. The second topic describes that adolescents see success as the mastery of skills, the achievement of personal goals, and expect recognition from family and peers. Success increases self-confidence and self-efficacy. The third topic describes that failure is associated with the inability to reveal abilities, causes unpleasant emotions, and encourages seeking solutions. Support from loved ones helps to endure failures, while lack of support promotes a resignation attitude. Some adolescent athletes identify that the source of success is the amount of personal effort and chance. Conclusions. The identity of adolescents who engage in sports is fundamentally shaped by the experiences of continuous training and competition. The study participants reflectively revealed that sports are an integral component of their identity, forming essential aspects for their present and future – setting goals and achieving them, responding to challenges, and feeling responsible. The support from family members, coaches, and peers is highly significant for the self-perception of these adolescents. Various aspects of experiencing success consistently strengthen their confidence in their ability to achieve mastery and gain recognition from others. The integration of failure experiences into self-perception is multifaceted – on one hand, it induces unpleasant feelings and self-doubt, which are mitigated by empathetic support from close ones, and exacerbated by critical or indifferent reactions from coaches; at the same time, failures promote psychological resilience. Adolescents engaged in sports do not have a unified understanding of the causes of success and failure – they subjectively attribute them both to the amount of effort they put in and to chance. |
