| A high proportion of individuals experience negative life experiences as adults as a result of experiences some kind of childhood trauma. However, not all adult survivors of childhood trauma are negatively affected due in part to factors collectively referred to as resilience. An individual's unique ability to respond resiliently to a traumatic childhood event is a process that has garnered attention in the research literature but is in need of continued study and exploration. This researcher, using a qualitative phenomenological focus, interviewed seven collegiate student-athletes. This researcher transcribed, coded and analyzed the interviews in order to identify common lived experiences among the participants. The participants in this study identified five core themes that contributed to development of their resilience. These five themes include; using athletics to process, goal setting and achieving, coaches as parental figures, influence of teammates, and religion/spirituality. Various subthemes were noted as well. The present study aimed to establish a more complete framework of the themes that compose the essence of the development of resilience and resilient characteristics among collegiate student-athletes who experienced a childhood traumatic event. It is hoped that the results of this study will help draw attention to the importance of this topic and ultimately prove beneficial in helping other individuals who have experienced childhood trauma or similar difficult situations. |
