A phenomenological analysis of the performance experience for elite female collegiate basketball players

Although the literature on the psychological components of athletic performance is voluminous, there are few studies that examine athletes' subjective experience as they recall aspects related to performing their sport. Furthermore, women's sport experiences have received even less attention than men's experiences in the literature and have consistently been trivialized, devalued, and even unrecognized by the popular media and society. The purpose of this study was to describe and understand the performance experience of 10 female college basketball players. Through in-depth interviews and phenomenological analysis, general themes were derived that revealed the structure of the performance experience for the athletes.

Three primary themes emerged from the interview transcripts: 1) Relationships, 2) "I" in Team, and 3) Play. These themes unfolded in the context of Team and each primary theme was present in all of the interviews. Results are discussed in regard to literature on women's relationships and development.