Coaches' reflections on the meaning and value of Masters athletics

Abstract

Masters sport is a growing social movement offering the opportunity to participate in competitive sports in later life. Although many studies have explored Masters athletes' experiences, little is known about how other actors in the sport subcultures construct meaning in Masters sport and whether their stories work to support or hinder participation. Our study explored the cultural narrative resources and life scripts surrounding sport and ageing that coaches draw upon in two European countries, England and Finland, where sport policy has put different emphasis on elite sport and sport for all. We analysed interviews from 23 athletics (track and field) coaches (8 women) to understand how they assign meaning and value to Masters sport. The narrative analysis showed that coaches constructed two possible athlete pathways: the elite athlete pathway, followed by disengagement from competitive sport, and the 'second chance' pathway, describing Masters athletics as an option for those who did not succeed in youth. Normative expectations about the life career in athletics, underpinned by the Western life script, also worked to construct Masters athletes as a selfish activity and neglect to 'give back' to the sport. Finnish coaches constructed more nuanced stories about Masters athletics and sport in later life, tapping into sport for all narrative resources that circulate in the Nordic countries. The findings indicate that athletics subculture is a contested space where 'new' discourses of ageing are only slowly starting to challenge the normative life script of sport as a project of youth.

Highland Games as serious leisure: becoming a Masters athlete

“…Transition to the Games was either a continuation of existing sport participation or a rekindling of previous talent applied to a different sport. This case study demonstrates how some athletes get a 'second chance' (Ronkainen et al, 2019) at competitive sport by moving away from their first discipline. Although this inter-sporting transition does not fit easily into Dionigi's (2015) 'rekindler' concept, it nevertheless demonstrates the value of considering previous engagement with competitive sports.…”

Developing narrative identities in youth pre-elite sport: bridging the present and the future

“…Especially future-oriented identity narratives have a motivational component in offering 'a compass' on meaningful actions (Fugate, Kinicki, and Ashforth 2004). Since youth athletes have to imagine a future they have no experience of, they have to rely on 'experienced others' in the sport life-world such as older teammates (Phoenix and Sparkes 2007) or coaches (Ronkainen, Ryba, Tonge, and Tikkanen 2019) to provide them with 'narrative maps' about how their sporting future might look like and which choices are more desirable than others. The belief in continuity between the present actions and the desired future self allows individuals to sustain motivation in their life projects and orient to actions and experiences that promote the development of competencies in preparing for that future (Savickas 2013).…”

Psychosocial Aspects of Participation in Competitive Sports Among Older Athletes: A Scoping Review

“…Since this scoping review was aimed at broad summaries of an area of research, space limitations have precluded a more detailed presentation of results from the narrative content analysis. Finally, although studies focused on volunteers (e.g., Lee & Kim, 2018), coaches (e.g., Ronkainen et al, 2019), or healthcare professionals (e.g., Schutzer & Graves, 2003) were excluded, we consider this emerging area worthy of further research. For example, some studies (e.g., Kirby & Kludge, 2013) have identified the role of the university (including students, faculty staff and volunteers) as a crucial resource for providing environmental and interpersonal support for community-dwelling older adults.…”