The Role of Sport-Life Balance and Well-Being on Athletic Performance

Abstract

The present study explores the role of sport-life balance and well-being on athletic performance. Canadian athletes who competed at the 2019 Pan American and Para Pan American Games in Lima, Peru were invited to participate in the survey via email. A mixed-methods design was utilized, consisting of an online survey and semi-structured, follow-up interviews. The sample consisted of 72 athletes, spanning eighteen different sports. Our findings demonstrate that while many Olympic and Paralympic athletes are successful in maintaining a strong support network, significant concerns arose regarding meagre finances, a lack of free time, and minimal support both within and outside of sport. Perspectives on the benefits of sport-life balance on performance were mixed, with the majority of athletes revealing that they were unsure of the benefits, did not experience benefits, or experienced negative effects. Feelings of dissatisfaction with performance, experiences of being overwhelmed in managing an athletic career, and tensions in developing a self outside of sport were prevalent among the athletes.

Well-Being, Resilience and Social Support of Athletes with Disabilities: A Systematic Review

“…Through the systematic review process, we identified twenty-seven studies: twelve from Europe (Italy [66,79], Ireland [68], UK [59,63,78,80], Poland [7], Portugal [74], Turkey [65] and Ukraine [69,70]), ten from North America (USA [47,60,72,73,[81][82][83] and Canada [64,67,75], three from South America (Brazil [61,62] and Chile [77]), one from Asia (Indonesia [76]) and one from Oceania (Australia [71]).…”

Exploring the relationship between social support, resilience, and subjective well-being in athletes of adapted sport

“…Recent studies have looked at the social support provided by the best friend and its influence on adolescent’s practical physical activity and perceived benefits ( Martin and Smith, 2002 ; Martin, 2006 ; Stearns et al, 2018 ; Kandola et al, 2020 ; Monteiro et al, 2021 ). On the other hand, in sports for people with disabilities context, social support is also considered to be a positive influence ( Swanson et al, 2008 ; Machida et al, 2013 ; Crawford et al, 2015 ; Fiorilli et al, 2016 ; Haslett et al, 2017 ; Powell and Myers, 2017 ; Cardoso et al, 2018 ; Atkinson and Martin, 2020 ; Aitchison et al, 2021 ; Mira et al, 2022 ; Monton et al, 2022 ).…”

“…Social support and well-being are two important constructs in athletes with disabilities and their relationship has been evidenced in several studies ( Crawford et al, 2015 ; Fiorilli et al, 2016 ; Haslett et al, 2017 ; Atkinson and Martin, 2020 ; Aitchison et al, 2021 ; Mira et al, 2022 ; Monton et al, 2022 ). Waldinger and Schulz (2016) argues that social connections are very important, people who are more socially connected are happier, healthier, and live longer.…”

“…The association between positive affect and social support from parents and friends has reinforced the importance that this support seems to have on the emotional states of athletes ( VaezMousavia et al, 2013 ; Shapiro and Malone, 2016 ). The social support provided to athletes with disabilities is very important, as improvement of their career and well-being ( Crawford et al, 2015 ; Fiorilli et al, 2016 ; Haslett et al, 2017 ; Atkinson and Martin, 2020 ; Aitchison et al, 2021 ; Mira et al, 2022 ; Monton et al, 2022 ).…”

“…Social support for athletes with disabilities is extremely relevant to improving their career and well-being. Sport experiences provide an improvement in social skills, which in turn consequently improves well-being and social support ( Crawford et al, 2015 ; Fiorilli et al, 2016 ; Haslett et al, 2017 ; Atkinson and Martin, 2020 ; Aitchison et al, 2021 ; Mira et al, 2022 ; Monton et al, 2022 ). Thus, the aim of our study is to understand the association between social support, resilience and positive affect and negative affect, satisfaction with life, in athletes with disabilities who play federated sport.…”