Investigation of value orientations of athletes interested in combat sport

The purpose of this study is to examine the value orientations of athletes involved in combat sports in terms of variables such as gender, age, place of residence, educational level, mother's educational level, father's educational level, sport branch, length of time as an athlete, and national athlete status. The convenience sampling method, one of the quantitative research methods, was used in the study. The study group consisted of a total of 351 active athletes who were actively competing in karate, taekwondo, judo, and wrestling during the 2024-2025 season in Turkey and who voluntarily agreed to participate in the study. Of these athletes, 126 were female and 225 were male. The average age of the participants was determined to be 23.11. The data collection tool used was the Athlete Value Orientation Scale (AVOS) developed by Yıldız (2016), along with a personal information form. The data was collected using a survey technique and analyzed using the SPSS 27.0 program. As a result of the research, only a low level of significant relationship was found in the "competitiveness" dimension according to the age variable, while no significant relationship was found in the other dimensions and total scores. Significant but lowlevel relationships were found between the duration of participating in a sport and the "competitiveness" and "compliance with rules" dimensions. However, no statistically significant differences were found in the SDYÖ total scores in terms of variables such as place of residence, education level, parental education level, sport discipline, and national athlete status. According to the results obtained, it can be said that factors such as age, education, place of residence, or sports history do not play a decisive role in individuals' value orientations, but limited effects may be observed in some dimensions. In this regard, it is recommended that coaches and sports administrators organize training programs that support the value development of athletes. Keywords: Sports, Combat Sports, Values, Value Orientation