A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ATHLETIC PARTICIPATION AND SELF-ESTEEM

This study explored the relationship between athletic participation and self-esteem, with a focus on basketball players across different levels of involvement. A total of 248 participants were divided into three groups: non-active individuals (70 participants), amateur basketball players (88 participants), and professional basketball players (80 participants). The mean age of participants was 24.5 years (SD = 3.2). The results showed that professional basketball players reported the highest self-esteem (M = 34.2), followed by amateur players (M = 31.5), and non-active individuals (M = 28.4). A two-way ANOVA revealed a significant main effect of athletic participation on self-esteem (F (2, 242) = 45.67, p < .001), with professional players having considerably higher self-esteem than both amateur players and non-active individuals. In addition, amateur players had higher self-esteem than non-active individuals. However, there were no important gender differences or interaction between athletic participation and gender (F(1, 242) = 0.56, p = .456). These findings support the hypothesis that athletic participation, especially at a professional level, is linked to higher self-esteem, while gender has minimal influence. This underscores the psychological benefits of athletic involvement, particularly in team sports like basketball. Coaches and sports psychologists can leverage these insights to promote sports as a tool for improving self-esteem and overall well-being.