High Athletic Identities and Less Fear in Early-Middle Age Adolescents

During sports injury rehabilitation, early-middle adolescent age athletes had higher overall athletic identity scores with greater social identity from athletic participation and exclusivity toward athletic participation than late adolescent age athletes.  They also had less fear avoidance than late adolescent age athletes.  Obsessive sports passion, high social identity and exclusivity in early-middle adolescent age athletes may combine to create the greater re-injury frequency seen in this group.  Identification of injured adolescent athletes with a strong athletic identity and low fear avoidance during rehabilitation may facilitate return to sport criteria development that more effectively considers the impact of psychological factors on re-injury prevention.