Athletic Identity, Coping, and Perceptions of Stress among Students Transitioning to College and out of Competitive Sport

Background: The purpose of this study is to examine the coping strategies used by college students who are simultaneously making the transition out of competitive sport, the effects that an individual’s athletic identity has on the utilization of various coping strategies, and the influence of both of these factors on perceptions of stress among this population of students. Method: After conducting a thorough literature review, a structural model was developed and empirically tested using a 48-item questionnaire comprised of three different Likert-type scales. The sample population consisted of undergraduate students at three public southwestern universities. Of the students sampled, 554 met the target criteria and were subsequently analyzed. Results: Results from three confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) resulted in a respecified model. Structural equation modeling (SEM) indicated a strong model fit, including a significant correlation between various factors of athletic identity and coping, as well as a significant correlation between coping and stress.