Sport adherence in Masters athletes: A grounded theory

Masters athletes (MAs) are a population of competitively oriented adult athletes who regularly exceed physical activity guidelines at a time when many are inactive. The purpose of this study was to use Straussian grounded theory to understand what influences MAs’ adherence to sport throughout adulthood. Fourteen MAs (Mage = 53.6 years) who compete in individual sports participated in semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed via memoing and a process of open coding, axial coding, and theoretical integration. The results highlight that MAs rely on self-regulatory strategies (e.g., scheduling, training with others). MAs’ adherence was also influenced by their motivations (e.g., goal setting, desire to learn) and life circumstances and choices (e.g., work, proximity), which dictated how they employed their self-regulatory strategies. By understanding the strategies that MAs use to maintain regular sport participation, the authors hope to provide newer MAs, older adults or stakeholders with ways to facilitate long-term adherence.