Athlete identity and grit among adolescent athletes: The mediating role of active coping strategies

Grit is essential for adolescent athletes who must persist through failures, injuries, and prolonged competitive demands, yet limited research has examined the psychological processes that cultivate grit in youth sport. This study investigated whether athlete identity fosters grit through adaptive coping strategies. A survey of 262 adolescent athletes registered with the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee assessed athlete identity, problem-focused coping, emotion-focused coping, and grit. Data were analyzed using Hayes’ PROCESS macro Model 4 in SPSS 25.0. Results showed that athlete identity positively predicted grit, and it also positively predicted both problem-focused coping and emotion-focused coping. In turn, each coping strategy positively predicted grit. Moreover, both coping strategies significantly mediated the relationship between athlete identity and grit. These results highlight that athlete identity is linked to grit through its association with adaptive coping processes, offering insight into patterns of perseverance among adolescent athletes. They also offer practical guidance for coaches and sport organizations seeking to cultivate perseverance and promote sustained engagement in sport.