Empower Our Growth as Athletes: Voices of Swedish Athletes With Intellectual Disability
2025 (English)In: JARID: Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities, ISSN 1360-2322, E-ISSN 1468-3148, Vol. 38, no 5, article id e70133Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Sustainable development
Hållbar utveckling
Abstract [en]
ABSTRACT
Background: People with intellectual disability participate in organised sports to a lesser extent than people in general. The aim of this study was to explore the motivation for engaging in sports among athletes using the theoretical framework of senseof belonging.
Method: Semi-structured online interviews were carried out with athletes (N=15, 8/7 women/men, 29.5±9 years) with intellectual disabilities.
Results: The main theme ‘Empower me to grow as an athlete—adapt the support to help me develop my sport skills and social aspects’ showed that motivation, competence, perception, and opportunities were important factors for engaging in sports.Support was an important factor for creating adapted opportunities.
Conclusion: Athletes with intellectual disabilities have motivation, want to feel competent, and to be athletes who belong insports and develop as such. They also appreciate coaches giving adapted support that enhances understanding and promotesinclusion in the sport community
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Wiley , 2025. Vol. 38, no 5, article id e70133
Keywords [en]
inclusion, motivation, para sports, physical activity, sense of belonging
National Category
Sport and Fitness Sciences
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:miun:diva-55723DOI: 10.1111/jar.70133ISI: 001585424000001PubMedID: 41025608Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-105017612180OAI: oai:DiVA.org:miun-55723DiVA, id: diva2:2006403
Projects
Empowering ParaSports – Fostering Fairness and Equity from the Grassroots to the Elite
Note
Funding: This work was supported by the Swedish Research Council for Sport Science (P2024_0090), Rolf and Gunilla Enström research foundation, andThe cooperation agreement between Mid Sweden University and the Municipality of Östersund.
2025-10-142025-10-142025-10-17