Examining the effects of the pandemic process on amateur athletes and the sports sector

Health and healthy living are of paramount importance for human beings. By its very nature, health and healthy living for individuals shaped by physical activity equate to sports. In today's era, sports have become one of the most widespread and effective endeavors in modern societies. In this age, sports have evolved beyond being merely an activity that enables individuals to gain strength in physical and psychological aspects; they have risen to the status of an indicator of societal advancement. In this context, sports serve as a factor not only in the physical and mental development of individuals but also in the modernization of society. Over time, the world has been facing challenging times due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. In this research, a qualitative research method, namely convenient sampling was employed. For data collection in the research, a semi structured interview form consisting of open ended questions designed to obtain data relevant to the research objectives was used as a qualitative data collection method. In the research, a semi structured interview form consisting of open ended questions was administered to amateur athletes and gym operators in Şanlıurfa province with the aim of determining their opinions regarding the effects of the pandemic on them towards the end of the pandemic process. The first section of the form includes demographic information of sports and gym operators, such as gender, age, education level, and occupation, while the second section consists of 30 questions related to the opinions of athletes and gym operators about the effects of the pandemic process on amateur athletes and the sports sector. In total, there are 35 questions in the interview form. The data collected from the research were analyzed using content analysis method. Privacy was ensured by coding the names of the participating athletes and operators, and a coding system consisting of A (Athlete) and GO (Gym Operator) was used for each athlete and operator. The participants of the research consisted of 20 athletes and 6 gym operators in the age range of 18-55 The data for the research were obtained from amateur athletes and gym operators. The research was conducted with the participation of a total of 26 individuals, including 6 gym operators and 20 athletes. This study examines the impact of the pandemic on sports and athletes, which hold such significant importance in the lives of individuals and societies, as well as the effects of the pandemic on sports activities. At the same time, the study sheds light on the impact of the pandemic on sports by directing questions related to sports to gym operators and amateur athletes in Şanlıurfa province.