Social resources and mood among masters track and field athletes

The nature of family influences on sport participation in Masters athletes

“…The ability of our participants to manage and maintain their identity, resolve family conflicts, and negotiate or juggle responsibilities over time contradicts research by Golding and Ungerleider (1991) and Stevenson (2002). These studies have shown how a high level of identification, motivation, and commitment with a leisure activity separate from the family (such as Masters sport) has the potential for individuals to relinquish family activities.…”

“…The participants in our study did not seem 'to ''sacrifice'' (to some extent) their relationships with their spouses and their children' to the same extent that the Masters swimmers reported in the research by Stevenson (2002, 144). Nor did the time and energy devoted to training appear to limit their investment in social relationships, as was found among Masters track and field athletes in a study by Golding and Ungerleider (1991). Alternatively, our final theme on the indirect support of children showed that some athletes felt that they had more time and energy to devote to sport participation because their children were independent.…”

“…For instance, a case study by Roper, Molnar and Wrisberg (2003) highlighted the importance of spousal support for an 88-year-old Masters runner, while Grant (2001) described the family negotiations a group of New Zealand Masters athletes (aged in their 70s) had to undertake to avoid conflict. Golding and Ungerleider (1991) showed how social support can enhance training motivation in Masters track and field athletes (mean age 50.1 years), as well as how the time and energy devoted to training can limit an athlete's investment in social relationships. In a study on the spousal support of runners, Fick, Goff and Oppliger (1997) argued that commitment to leisure, and running in particular, can be a source of strain on family relationships if couples are not accepting of each other's leisure interests.…”

Social Support Mechanisms among Athletes with Disabilities

“…The number of available people and the high degree of fulfillment found in this study suggest that these athletes have healthy social support systems that may help buffer against stress, injury, or illness (Cohen et al, 1986;Passer & Seese, 1983;Petrie, 1992Petrie, , 1993Smith et al, 1990) as well as contribute to personal development, well-being, and, possibly, increased training volume (Golding & Ungerleider, 1991;Sarason et al, 1983). Interestingly, similar to Hardy et al (1991) but in contrast to Sarason, Sarason, Hacker, and Basham (1985), we found no gender differences indicating that women were 'more satisfied with perceived social support.…”

“…Due to the limited sport psychology research examining social support (Golding & Ungerleider, 1991;Hardy et al, 1991 ;Petrie, 1992Petrie, , 1993Rosenfeld et al, 1989;Smith et al, 1990), there is a clear need for further exploration of this area. Additionally, the limited sport psychology research with athletes with disabilities prompted the present study.…”