“I always just viewed it as part of sport”: Psychological maltreatment and conformity to the sport ethic

Sport environments have the potential to be advantageous to one’s development and well-being; however, they are also plagued with the normalization of excessive pressures and extreme expectations that can enhance athletes’ susceptibility to experiencing harm, especially psychological maltreatment. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively explore athletes’ experiences of conforming to the sport ethic and experiences of psychological maltreatment in sport. Semi-structured interviews were completed with thirteen retired, competitive, women athletes. Each interview was transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically. Findings demonstrate that the sport ethic influences the vulnerability of athletes to experiencing psychological maltreatment and athletes’ experiences of psychological maltreatment influence their conformity to the sport ethic. The desire to please is identified as central to this nexus between conformity and experiences of psychological maltreatment. The paper concludes with applied recommendations for sport psychology practitioners. The cycle of psychological maltreatment and conformity to the sport ethic demonstrates the interrelatedness between both constructs and suggests they should not be viewed as mutually exclusive. This recursive conceptualization can help guide sport psychology practitioners in their efforts to safeguard athlete welfare. Implications for PracticePositive encouragement of athletes’ steadfast dedication and commitment to achieving performance in sport can enhance athletes’ vulnerability to psychological maltreatment.Sport psychology practitioners should be cognizant of the risk of people-pleasing tendencies making athletes susceptible to and in need of safeguarding against psychological maltreatment and engagement in extreme behaviors associated with conformity to the sport ethic.Sport psychology practitioners can play a critical role in providing education and strategies for coaches, parents, athletes, and sport leaders to support athletic performance in a way that also safeguards athlete welfare. Positive encouragement of athletes’ steadfast dedication and commitment to achieving performance in sport can enhance athletes’ vulnerability to psychological maltreatment. Sport psychology practitioners should be cognizant of the risk of people-pleasing tendencies making athletes susceptible to and in need of safeguarding against psychological maltreatment and engagement in extreme behaviors associated with conformity to the sport ethic. Sport psychology practitioners can play a critical role in providing education and strategies for coaches, parents, athletes, and sport leaders to support athletic performance in a way that also safeguards athlete welfare.