TY - JOUR
T1 - Sport participation for elite athletes with physical disabilities
T2 - Motivations, barriers, and facilitators
AU - McLoughlin, Gabriella
AU - Fecske, Courtney Weisman
AU - Castaneda, Yvette
AU - Gwin, Candace
AU - Graber, Kim
N1 - Funding Information:
Although funding is available through scholarships and grants, elite athletes need to know how and where to obtain financial assistance. Theo played sports in his regular wheelchair when he began because he did not know how to obtain a sports chair. He stated it was “very difficult to play in that chair.” Many of the athletes, however, including Theo, eventually found ways to obtain appropriate sports chairs through funding, scholarships, grants, and sponsors.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 Human Kinetics, Inc.
Copyright:
Copyright 2017 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2017/10
Y1 - 2017/10
N2 - There are many reasons why individuals are motivated to participate in sports. Less attention, however, is given for studying motivation and athlete development in adapted sport. The purpose of this study was to identify the motivations, facilitators, and barriers to sports participation of elite athletes with a physical disability. Participants (N = 23, 17 males, six females, mean age: 24.3 years) were recruited through online listservs, e-mails, and snowball sampling. A semistructured interview guide was employed. Analysis was conducted and grounded in self-determination theory and literature surrounding barriers and facilitators of sports participation. Through coding by multiple researchers, six themes emerged. Themes indicated that athletes attributed participation to constructs of self-determination theory as well as overcoming specific barriers such as cost, time constraints, and lack of opportunity. Among facilitators to their athletic development, there were empowerment and advocacy, increased health, college scholarships, and achieving performance-related goals.
AB - There are many reasons why individuals are motivated to participate in sports. Less attention, however, is given for studying motivation and athlete development in adapted sport. The purpose of this study was to identify the motivations, facilitators, and barriers to sports participation of elite athletes with a physical disability. Participants (N = 23, 17 males, six females, mean age: 24.3 years) were recruited through online listservs, e-mails, and snowball sampling. A semistructured interview guide was employed. Analysis was conducted and grounded in self-determination theory and literature surrounding barriers and facilitators of sports participation. Through coding by multiple researchers, six themes emerged. Themes indicated that athletes attributed participation to constructs of self-determination theory as well as overcoming specific barriers such as cost, time constraints, and lack of opportunity. Among facilitators to their athletic development, there were empowerment and advocacy, increased health, college scholarships, and achieving performance-related goals.
KW - Athletes with physical disabilities
KW - Elite sport participation
KW - Self-determination theory
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85032749825&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85032749825&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1123/apaq.2016-0127
DO - 10.1123/apaq.2016-0127
M3 - Article
C2 - 28985104
AN - SCOPUS:85032749825
SN - 0736-5829
VL - 34
SP - 421
EP - 441
JO - Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly
JF - Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly
IS - 4
ER -