The Athletic Identity of Collegiate Athletic Trainers: A Descriptive Study

Empirical and anecdotal evidence suggests that many athletic trainers (ATs) are former athletes and selected the profession because of its affiliation with sport. Qualitative research has indicated that collegiate ATs may have a strong athletic identity, but the concept of athletic identity has not been quantified in this population.

To quantitatively assess the athletic identity of collegiate ATs and determine if group differences exist.

Cross-sectional observational study.

Collegiate clinical setting.

A total of 255 (n = 93 men [36%], n = 162 women [63%]; n = 2 did not indicate sex [1%]) ATs employed in the collegiate setting.

Data were collected via a web-based survey platform that was designed to measure athletic identity. Demographic information was analyzed for frequency and distribution. Mann-Whitney U tests and Kruskal-Wallis tests were calculated to determine if group differences existed.

The large majority of respondents (90%) self-identified as having participated in organized sport and yet scored moderately on the Athletic Identity Measurement Scale (22.9 ± 7.9). No sex differences were present in overall athletic identity (P = .446), but women had higher levels of negative affectivity (P = .045) than men. Testing also revealed group differences based on current employment setting for social identity (P = .020), with scores for those in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I less than those in Division II, Division III, and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. Exclusivity in NCAA Division III was lower (P = .030) than that in NCAA Division II and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics ATs.

Components of athletic identity appeared to vary based on the employment setting of collegiate ATs and may be related to the number of hours worked in the summer. The moderate athletic identity scores of collegiate ATs were comparable with those of former athletes who selected career paths outside of sport. This may indicate adaptive career decision processes.