ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with adolescents’ participation in athletics, the impact of this participation on body image, and how this relationship affects the development of a sense of identity. It reviews some of the issues surrounding identity, body image, and athletic ability, and considers the complex interrelationships that exist among these phenomena in adolescence, focusing on the aspects of these issues that are involved in their interaction. A review of the literature on the relationships among the variables reveals a preponderance of data indicating that boys and girls differ with respect to how athletic ability and participation affect body image and identity. Body image is a significant contributor to a sense of identity, but body image is influenced by factors other than athletic ability. In summary, athletic participation appears to have positive influences on self-concept for those who do participate.
