The influence of sports on the development of self-esteem in disabled athletes who have achieved championships: a descriptive study

Introduction: Self-esteem is an essential psychological factor for athletes with disabilities, especially those who have achieved success in sports competitions. Objective: This study aims to analyze the self-esteem levels of athletes with disabilities in West Sumatra and identify the influence of competitive experiences on their psychological development. Methodology: This research employs a descriptive quantitative approach, involving 20 athletes with disabilities categorized as visually impaired, hearing impaired, and physically disabled. Self-esteem assessment was conducted using an instrument consisting of 34 items, including 22 favorable and 12 unfavorable items, with high reliability (Cronbach's Alpha = 0.910). Results: The findings indicate that the empirical self-esteem mean score of the athletes (95.30) was higher than the hypothetical mean (85), suggesting that competitive experiences and achievements positively contributed to their self-esteem. Most athletes demonstrated moderate self-esteem levels (65%), while 35% exhibited high self-esteem, and none showed low self-esteem. The analysis of self-esteem aspects—power, significance, virtue, and competence—revealed varied distributions, reflecting different elements of psychological reinforcement. Conclusion: Sports play a crucial role in enhancing the self-esteem of athletes with disabilities through social recognition, personal achievements, and positive interactions. However, there remains room for improvement through mental toughness training and mindfulness-based programs. This study recommends developing more inclusive adaptive sports programs to further improve the self-esteem of athletes with disabilities.