Sense of Community Narratives in Colombian Masters Swimming

This study examined Sense of Community (SOC) in Colombian Masters swimming, interrogating the nature of collective SOC experiences within adult sport and how they shaped psychological outcomes from community. Thirty field observations, three focus groups, and seven individual interviews were used to collect data from 17 swimmers (40-68 years old; 12 women, five men). Narrative analysis focused on shared stories describing community life, alongside swimmers' interpretations of how participation influenced their experiences. Five narrative accounts integrated cultural context, collective SOC meanings, and individual perspectives. Across accounts, six community characteristics (everyday care, camaraderie and respect, celebration, facilitative leadership, inspiration from diversity, intergenerational integration) were associated with six psychological outcomes (mattering, commitment, confidence, emotional renewal, belonging and recognition, purpose). Community characteristics and outcomes were not discrete or sequential; rather, relational conditions within the community simultaneously shaped swimmers' sense of value, motivation, confidence, and emotional wellbeing through everyday interaction.