SPORT ORIENTATION AND ATHLETIC IDENTITY OF GREEK WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL PLAYERS

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine sport orientation and athletic identity of Greek wheelchair basketball players. The sample consisted of 50 male wheelchair basketball players all coming from different teams participating at the Greek National Championship. Thirty-three (n=33) participants had acquired disabilities, and 17 (n=17) participants had congenital disabilities. The years of training of the participants ranged from 1 to 22 years. All subjects completed the Sport Orientation Questionnaire, with factors of competitiveness, goal orientation, and win orientation, and the Athletic Orientation Questionnaire which assesses personal identity, social identity, exclusivity; and negative effect. The study indicated satisfactory internal consistency for the questionnaires' factors. Furthermore, players with congenital disabilities appeared more win-oriented and focused on specific goals and with stronger self-perception of their athletic role compared to players with acquired disabilities.