Athletic Identity, Vocational Identity, and Occupational Engagement in College Student-Athletes and Non-Athletes

Abstract

Athletic departments in National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Bowl Subdivision universities provide academic support services to their student-athletes. Even though student-athletes receive help including career assistance from academic counselors, some studies have found that student-athletes are behind non-athletes in career development. This study examined the relationship between athletic identity and career identity in student-athletes attending one Football Bowl Subdivision institution in comparison with non-athletes, between genders of student-athletes, and between earlier and later years in college for student-athletes using multiple instruments: Athletic Identity Measurement Scale; Vocational Identity Scale of the My Vocational Situation; and the Occupational Engagement Scale-Student. No relationship was found to exist between athletic identity and vocational identity or athletic identity and occupational engagement. Non-athletes had higher occupational engagement levels than did student-athletes, while student-athletes had higher vocational identity levels than did non-athletes. Additionally, female student-athletes had higher occupational engagement levels than did male student-athletes. Student-athletes in years 3 and 4 had higher occupational engagement levels than did student-athletes in years 1 and 2.