Jumping through hoops: (How) does basketball help develop young female athletes?

The aim of this study was to examine the extent to which young female basketball players felt their life skills were improving through participation in basketball. More specifically, to explore the impact of athletic identity, coach support, and self-perceived competence had in life skill development and transfer across domains like school and everyday life. A total of 206 U.S. female high school basketball players (aged 14-19) completed a modified survey including items from the Life Skills Scale for Sport (LSSS), Life Skills Transfer Scale (LSSS-TS), and Athletic Identity Measurement Scale (AIMS). Descriptive statistics, repeated measures ANOVAs, and Pearson correlations were used to analyze life skill development, transfer and related variables. Participants reported the highest development in interpersonal skills, teamwork, leadership, and social skills. These skills transferred more frequently to everyday life, and transfer to school was less common. Significant positive correlations emerged between athletic identity and all six life skills. Athletes who perceived themselves as already competent in a specific life skills were more likely to report developing those same skills through basketball. It is clear from the findings that sport, in this case basketball, can offer a context for young girls to develop life skills. Athletic identity appears to be the most meaningful influence on how young athletes experience life skill growth. These findings support the development and implementation of more intentional sport-based programs designed to foster positive youth development.