Qualitative Study of the Impact of Family and Social Support on the Professional Path of Athletes

Abstract

The objective of this study is to examine the impact of family and social support on resilience, stress, and athletic performance. This qualitative study utilized semi-structured interviews for data collection. The participants were 27 active athletes from Qazvin, selected through purposeful sampling. Data analysis was conducted using qualitative content analysis. The interviews continued until theoretical saturation was achieved, and the data were analyzed using NVivo software. The findings indicated that family and social support play a key role in enhancing the resilience of athletes and reducing stress caused by professional pressures. Athletes who received higher levels of emotional and social support were able to perform better under stressful conditions and demonstrated improved athletic performance. Furthermore, social support was found to be effective in alleviating depression and anxiety in athletes, particularly during injury and career crises, acting as a buffering factor. This study demonstrates that family and social support are crucial factors in improving the psychological well-being and resilience of athletes. The results suggest that these forms of support not only assist athletes in managing stress but also contribute to their overall athletic performance.