ABSTRACT
The overall purpose of this chapter is to examine the potential contribution of gender differences to growth following adversity in sport. Specifically, there are three main objectives: (1) to examine potential differences between male and female athletes’ experiences of adversity and growth in sport and reasons for these differences, (2) to review the existing empirical studies looking at female athletes’ experiences of adversity and growth, and (3) to provide directions for future research. In terms of adversity, experiences of adversity reported by male and female athletes include injury, poor performance, deselection, sexual abuse, coach conflict, and bullying. However, certain types of injuries and adversity related to interpersonal relationships may be more common among female athletes. In terms of growth, females have been suggested to report greater growth following adversity compared to males, which may be due to how males and females respond to adversity, and the increased likelihood of females to seek social support. Future research specifically focusing on identifying differences between and within male and female athletes’ experiences of adversity and growth will contribute to this growing field.
