Connection Matters: Exploring the Effects of Attachment on Human Flourishing within NCAA Division 1 College Athletes

With the continued growth and development of college athletics has also come increased awareness and concerns around the surging rates of mental health challenges and issues facing today’s student-athletes. This study was conducted to better understand some of the factors, specifically relationships, that might affect the overall well-being and human flourishing of NCAA Division 1 student-athletes. Rooted in the flourishing and attachment theories, this study investigated relationship interactions between parental attachment (X) and human flourishing (Y) through best friend attachment (M1), God-attachment (M2), and coach-athlete attachment (M3) conditioned at the level of playing time satisfaction (W). Following the distribution of a survey packet administered in person to three athletic teams (football, softball, and track and field) from the same private, Christian university in the southeastern part of the United States (N=240), this quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional, correlational research design utilizing a Haye’s Process Macro custom model found several significant direct and indirect effects on college athlete human flourishing. Overall, the results of this study allude to the fact that many of the challenges athletes face may be due to internal and relational issues, as well as the resolution.