An examination of athlete identity, sportsmanship behaviors, and emotional reactions in amateur football players

The aim of this study was to examine the levels of athletic identity, sportsmanship orientations, and emotional responses (aggression and anger) of amateur football players registered with the Bingöl Amateur Sports Clubs Federation. The research was conducted using a relational survey model, and the sample consisted of 300 amateur football players. Data were collected through the Athletic Identity Measurement Scale, the Sport Aggression and Anger Scale, and the Multidimensional Sportspersonship Orientation Scale, and analyzed with SPSS 27. Reliability coefficients were 0.842 for athletic identity, 0.877 for sport aggression and anger, and 0.933 for sportsmanship orientation. The mean scores indicated a high level of athletic identity (M=5.51±1.14), a high level of sportsmanship (M=4.01±0.70), and a moderate level of sport aggression and anger (M=2.81±0.81). No significant differences were found in terms of age, marital status, or education (p>0.05). However, significant differences emerged regarding years of sport experience and importance given to Fair Play. Athletic identity scores were highest among players with 10 or more years of experience (M=5.78; F=12.884; p=0.000) and lowest among those with ≤3 years (M=4.79). Players who valued Fair Play had higher athletic identity (M=5.57) and sportsmanship (M=4.05) scores, but lower aggression and anger scores (M=2.75; p<0.01). Correlation analysis revealed positive relationships between athletic identity and sportsmanship (r=0.422; p<0.01), and a negative relationship between anger and sportsmanship (r=-0.330; p<0.01). Regression results showed that aggression positively predicted athletic identity (B=0.389; p=0.000), whereas anger was a negative predictor (B=-0.229; p=0.001). In conclusion, athletic identity among amateur football players is strongly associated with sportsmanship values, while aggression and anger play a critical role in identity development. Emphasizing Fair Play, anger management, and aggression control may support athletes' identity formation.