athlete identity and satisfaction of student-athletes in selected universities in kenya

Strong athlete identity and satisfaction with being an athlete are linked to better performance. this is because student-athletes are more motivated and feel a sense of belonging. however, research on how these factors connect with details like gender or competition level in student-athletes, especially in kenya, is lacking. using an analytical cross-sectional design and the athletic identity measurement scale-plus (aims-plus) and athlete satisfaction questionnaire (asq), this study examined the relationship between athlete identity and satisfaction among university student-athletes in relation to gender, year of study, and level of competition. a total of 309 (52.4% males and 47.6% females) kenyan university student-athletes participated in the study. results revealed females had a slightly stronger athlete identity (4.00 ± 0.478) than male student-athletes (3.93 ± 0.503), but there was no significant correlation between gender and athlete identity. similarly, females had higher athlete satisfaction (4.24 ± 0.443) than male student-athletes (4.09 ± 0.576), and the relationship between gender and athlete satisfaction was statistically significant (p =.017). investigated demographic characteristics only explained (3.5%) variance in student-athlete identity (r2 adjusted =.035, f (4, 263) = 3.391, p =.010) and (3.2%) in athlete satisfaction (r2 adjusted =.032, f(4,263) = 3.210, p =.013). the study concluded that universities should provide enhanced training facilities, regular competition opportunities, and a supportive environment for athletes in low-level competitions. future research could address athlete identity beyond demographics such as coach leadership, education goals, team task contribution, and variables that provide a more comprehensive understanding of athletic identity and satisfaction