Exploring Psychosocial Factors of Athletes’ Transion into Parasport Kelly P. Arbour-Nicitopoulos1,4, Rebecca L. Basse-Gunter 2,4, Heather Logan-Sprenger3, Benjamin Sylvester1, Krista Camick1, & Judy Goss3 1University of Toronto, 2York University, 3Canadian Sport Instute Ontario, 4Canadian Disability Parcipaon Project INTRODUCTION RESULTS § Parasport is increasing in awareness and involvement at the grassroots, naonal, and “WHAT PARASPORT DO YOU PLAY?” internaonal levels.1,2 Figure 2. Parasports athletes compeng in at the 2015 Para Pan Am Games § Most athletes (61.5%) competed in § Parcipaon in parasport is associated with enhanced physical and psychological health, 16 self-percepons, quality of life, and social integraon for individuals with physical either wheelchair basketball or para- 14 swimming disabilies2-4 12 10 § § Para-swimming was common among Despite these benefits and the growing acceptance of parasport for individuals with 8 physical disabilies, there is limited research invesgang the factors that influence athletes with congenital disabilies 6 athletes’ with physical disabilies transion into parasport. (n = 12), whereas wheelchair basketball 4

and sing volleyball were common Number of Athletes 2 OBJECTIVE among athletes with acquired 0 disabilies (n = 13) § To explore the training experiences and psychosocial factors associated with transioning § 77% competed at the elite level in the into parasport among elite parasport athletes. same parasport they were introduced to METHODOLOGY as a novice § Parcipants (N = 39, ages 14 to 64 years) were recruited from a variety of Provincial Sports Organizaons across Canada in the Fall 2015. Eligibility criteria included: (a) idenfying as “…BIGGEST OBSTACLES YOU HAVE ENCOUNTERED...?” having any type of physical disability (congenital, acquired; traumac, non-traumac), (b) having experience compeng in elite parasports; and (c) being a Canadian resident. Throughout athletes’ parcipaon in parasport: § Parcipants completed a 20-item Parasports Transion Quesonnaire (available in English Lack of resources (e.g., programs, facilies, equipment, and knowledgeable coaches) or French) using an online plaorm (FluidSureys®) that targeted factors related to: disability background, age of onset of parasport, social support, movaons to engage in parasport, and barriers to iniang and maintaining parcipaon in parasport. Iniaon Connued Parcipaon § Data Analysis: Descripve stascs (i.e., frequencies and means) were conducted to examine sample characteriscs with respect to disability and involvement in parasport. Themac content analysis5 was conducted to idenfy the types of barriers and social Perceived Self-confidence, Stress support received across the athletes’ parasport experience. challenges with concentraon, Financial Lack of me management learning new or emoonal and pain RESULTS adapng skills readiness

Figure 1. Type of Physical Disability DISCUSSION Sample Characteriscs Spinal cord injury § This is the first known study to examine factors related to elite athletes’ experiences with § Mage = 28.6 years Amputaon transioning into parasport. § 44.7% male 24% 29% § Our findings demonstrated that the first parasport that athletes parcipated in is typically § 71.1% English speaking Cerebral palsy the one they pursue in the future. This highlights the importance of inial sport contact and § 56.4% with an acquired physical Spina bifida disability 8% 21% a posive first experience among individuals with disabilies. Alternavely, this could 8% 10% Visual impairment highlight a lack of sport sampling. Further research is needed to understand whether para- athletes benefit from sampling rather than specializing in one sport. Other § Coaches played an integral role in most athletes’ parasport experience, emphasizing the “AT WHAT AGE DID YOU START PARASPORT?” importance of providing coaches with appropriate training and educaon to enhance their § Athletes reported starng parasport at an average age of 18.4 years, with age of first exposure ability to guide individuals through their athlec development. Parents and health care ranging from 5 to 48 years professionals should connue providing various types of support to facilitate athletes’ § Athletes with a congenital disability reported parcipang in parasport earlier than athletes with parcipaon in parasport. an acquired disability (on average, at approximately 13 versus 22 years, respecvely) § Athletes with an acquired disability began parcipang in their parasport of choice, on average, § Other future direcons include: (a) considering how best to target and enhance exposure to 4.4 years aer acquiring their disability parasport in earlier childhood of individuals with congenital disabilies, (b) the role of health care professionals in achieving a shorter transion period to parasport for athletes with “WHY DID YOU FIRST GET INVOLVED IN PARASPORT?” acquired disabilies, and (c) addressing issues surrounding a lack of available resources in § Competition and self-improvement order to support the iniaon and maintenance of athletes’ parcipaon in parasport. “I grew up being an athlete and parcipang in compeve sports. That part of me is sll the same post-accident. I am sll a compeve athlete and always want to push myself further.” § These findings can be used as a catalyst to develop opportunies for facilitang the process § Personal enjoyment of recruing and supporng individuals with physical disabilies into parasport. “I love sport and can’t imagine my life without it.” REFERENCES “WHO SUPPORTED YOUR EXPOSURE TO PARASPORT, AND HOW?” 1. Misener, L. (2017). Managing legacy and the Paralympic Games. In Managing the Paralympics (pp. 93-111). Palgrave Macmillan UK. 2. Blauwet, C., & Willick, S.E. (2012). The paralympic movement: Using sports to promote health, disability rights, and social integraon for athletes with disabilies. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitaon, 4, 851-856. 3. Groff, D.G., Lundberg, N.R., Zabriskie, R.B. (2009). Influence of adapted sport on quality of life: Percepons of athletes with cerebral palsy. Disability and Rehabilitaon, 31, 318-326. Coaches Parents Physiotherapists 4. Perrier, M.J., Sweet, S.N., Strachan, S.M., & Lamer-Cheung, A.E. (2012). I act, therefore I am: Athlec identy and the health acon process approach predict sport parcipaon among individuals with acquired physical disabilies. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 13, 713-720. 5. Braun, V. & Clarke, V. (2006). Using themac analysis in psychology. Qualitave Research in Psychology, 3, 77-101. • Mentoring • Transportaon, financial • Informaon about • Informaon about and support opportunies introducon to parasport • Mothers: Encouragement, • Emoonal and ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

psychological support psychological support We extend our gratude to the athletes who took me out of their schedules to parcipate in this study.