Athletic Identity and Life Satisfaction Among Freshman NCAA Student-Athletes: A Division I and III Comparison
Major
Psychology
Submission Type
Poster
Area of Study or Work
Psychology
Faculty Advisor
Lindsey Kellar
Location
CNS Atrium
Start Date
4-11-2026 8:30 AM
End Date
4-11-2026 9:45 AM
Abstract
Athlete identity is described by Brewer et al. (1993) as “the degree to which an individual identifies with the athlete role”. Understanding athletic identity is important for freshman college student-athletes as their perception of self-concept can impact their adjustment to new sport, social, and academic environments; psychological well-being; and athletic performance (Lally, 2007; Pierce et al., 2020). High athletic identity can be associated with higher levels of mental health challenges such as depression and anxiety while low levels of athletic identity are associated with lower levels of mental health challenges (Stokowski et al., 2022). In 2018, Huml discovered that NCAA participation appeared to impact athletic identity and specifically, Division III athletes scored lower in athletic identity than Division I and II athletes. The purpose of the current study was to examine athletic identity profiles of Division I and Division III freshman student-athletes. A total of 570 student-athletes (187 Division I and 383 Division III) completed the Athletic Identity Measurement Scale-3rd Generation (AIMS-3G; Brewer et al., 2020) and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (Diener et al., 1985) in their first month as a college student-athlete alongside. Through the use of structural equation modeling, differences between Division I and Division III student-athletes, as well as individual- and team- sport athletes, were explored. Findings will be discussed in relation to how different athletic identity configurations relate to adjustment and outcomes and provide practical recommendations to support freshmen student-athlete identity development during their transition into college sport and life.
Athletic Identity and Life Satisfaction Among Freshman NCAA Student-Athletes: A Division I and III Comparison
CNS Atrium
Athlete identity is described by Brewer et al. (1993) as “the degree to which an individual identifies with the athlete role”. Understanding athletic identity is important for freshman college student-athletes as their perception of self-concept can impact their adjustment to new sport, social, and academic environments; psychological well-being; and athletic performance (Lally, 2007; Pierce et al., 2020). High athletic identity can be associated with higher levels of mental health challenges such as depression and anxiety while low levels of athletic identity are associated with lower levels of mental health challenges (Stokowski et al., 2022). In 2018, Huml discovered that NCAA participation appeared to impact athletic identity and specifically, Division III athletes scored lower in athletic identity than Division I and II athletes. The purpose of the current study was to examine athletic identity profiles of Division I and Division III freshman student-athletes. A total of 570 student-athletes (187 Division I and 383 Division III) completed the Athletic Identity Measurement Scale-3rd Generation (AIMS-3G; Brewer et al., 2020) and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (Diener et al., 1985) in their first month as a college student-athlete alongside. Through the use of structural equation modeling, differences between Division I and Division III student-athletes, as well as individual- and team- sport athletes, were explored. Findings will be discussed in relation to how different athletic identity configurations relate to adjustment and outcomes and provide practical recommendations to support freshmen student-athlete identity development during their transition into college sport and life.