Belonging in Sport: Finding Community as an Athlete
You show up to practice, and everyone already seems to know each other. Inside jokes fly around the locker room. Group chats buzz with plans you realize you were not invited to. You're training alongside teammates, but somehow you feel completely alone.
Why Belonging Matters for Athletes
Research in sport psychology shows that athletes who feel a sense of value, support, and belonging experience stronger mental health both in and outside of sport.[1][2] Meaningful connections with teammates, coaches, and other athletes serve as protective factors for well-being and can even prevent early dropout from sport.[2][3]
Though it’s great to have research on the importance of social support, the research often misses the importance of finding people who actually get it. What about the people who understand what it's like to train with a chronic health condition, which likely flares unpredictably? Or the people who know what it’s like to be a female athlete navigating assumptions, safety concerns, and a sport culture that still isn’t built around women’s bodies? What about the people who know the specific challenges of navigating sport as a trans or non-binary athlete?[4] People who've felt the sting of weight-based comments disguised as performance advice?[5]
When sport psychology research talks about "social support," it tends to mean any supportive relationship. What it doesn't always capture is how much harder it is to find genuine belonging when your body, identity, or circumstances don't fit the traditional athlete mold.[4][6]
What Belonging Actually Looks Like
At Skadi Sport Psychology, belonging is one of our core values. We believe in doing what's in the best interest of all athletes, especially those who've been historically excluded or marginalized in sport.
That means:
Creating spaces where LGBTQ+ athletes, disabled athletes, larger-bodied athletes, athletes of color, and athletes with chronic health conditions are centered, not just tolerated
Acknowledging when barriers are structural, not just individual
Building community that enforces inclusive, evidence-based norms and actually addresses harm when it happens
Supporting messy, imperfect action (not performative perfection)
As we discuss in our guide on building psychologically safe teams, genuine belonging requires intentional effort.[8] It doesn't just happen by accident, and we’re trying to support the creation of (and create ourselves) spaces for just this.
How to Find (or Build) Your Community
Here's what we know from decades of research and lived experience: genuine belonging requires intention, vulnerability, and spaces that actively welcome all athletes. What I mean by this is as follows:
It starts with shared values (beyond that particular sport). You're looking for people who care about relationships and team camaraderie over ego, who prioritize sustainable training over hustle culture, who understand that mental health is as important as physical performance. These values create the foundation for real connection.
It makes space for honest conversations. In communities where belonging thrives, you can ask the questions you've been afraid to voice elsewhere. You can talk about the hard stuff: how hormones affect your training, what it's like to navigate body image pressures, how to balance caregiving responsibilities with competition goals, what barriers you face that others might not see. Nobody dismisses your experience or tells you to simply push through.
It centers diverse experiences. Look for spaces where athletes with different bodies, identities, abilities, and circumstances aren't just tolerated but genuinely valued. Where LGBTQ+ athletes don't have to explain themselves. Where larger-bodied athletes aren't subjected to weight talk disguised as performance advice. Where disabled athletes' adaptations are celebrated, not questioned. Where athletes of color see themselves reflected in leadership and conversation.
It acknowledges structural barriers. Sometimes the problem isn't your mindset. Sometimes it's access, bias, policy, or systems that weren't designed with you in mind. Communities that foster real belonging name these barriers instead of pretending individual grit can overcome everything.
It supports messy, imperfect growth. You don't have to have it all figured out. You don't have to perform perfection or hide your struggles. Authentic community makes room for the reality that building mental skills, recovering from setbacks, and figuring out how to thrive in sport is an ongoing process.
Where to Start
Finding this kind of community might mean:
Seeking out sport psychology professionals who share your values and understand your lived experience
Connecting with advocacy organizations in your sport that center inclusion
Looking for training groups or clubs that explicitly prioritize psychological safety and diverse membership
Building relationships with individual teammates or training partners who get it, even if the larger team culture doesn't
Joining communities (like the Skadi Community) specifically designed around these principles
The point isn't where you find your people. The point is that you deserve to find them. You deserve a community where you can show up fully, grow genuinely, and know you belong.
You Belong Here
You shouldn't have to shrink parts of yourself, hide your struggles, or pretend everything is fine to find community. (In fact, I’d argue that’s not community at all.)
At Skadi, we're building a community where all athletes (especially those historically pushed to the margins) can show up fully, ask hard questions, and build the mental skills they need to thrive. Because when athletes feel like they belong, they stay in sport longer. They recover from setbacks faster. They build healthier relationships with challenge, growth, and themselves.
The Skadi Community is a monthly membership community where athletes build personalized mental skills through hands-on workshops, practice them with monthly challenges, and connect with other athletes and experts who share your lived experiences. Whether you're navigating perimenopause, complex health concerns, body image challenges, disability, or identity-related barriers in sport, you'll find others who get it. Not because they have all the answers, but because they're figuring it out alongside you. Learn more about the Skadi Community here.
References
[1] Ayala, E., Nelson, K., Bartholomew, K., & Plummer, E. (2022). A conceptual model for mental health and performance of North American athletes. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 51, 102176. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2022.102176
[2] Kuettel, A., & Larsen, C. H. (2020). Risk and protective factors for mental health in elite athletes: a scoping review. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 13(1), 231–265. https://doi.org/10.1080/1750984X.2019.1689574
[3]Rocchi, M., Pelletier, L., Cheung, S., Baxter, D., & Beaudry, S. (2017). Assessing need-supportive and need-thwarting interpersonal behaviours: The Interpersonal Behaviours Questionnaire (IBQ). Personality and Individual Differences, 104, 423–433. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2016.08.034
[4] Ayala, E., Waniger, K., Schmida, A. R., & Faulkner, K. (2020). Experiences that affect participation of women and gender diverse athletes in competitive cycling. Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Educational Leadership, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.18666/JOREL-2020-V12-I1-9912
[5] Derbyshire, A., Lee, S., Bejar, M., Cordova, S., & Crocker, G. (2024). A weight-inclusive approach to applied sport psychology. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1080/1612197X.2024.2431256
[6] Gavrilova, Y., & Donohue, B. (2018). Mental health and social support in collegiate athletes. In E. Hong & A. L. Rao (Eds.), Mental health in the athlete (pp. 1-15). Springer.
[7] Henriksen, K., Huang, Z., Bartley, J., Kenttä, G., Purcell, R., Wagstaff, C. R. D., Si, G., Ge, Y., & Schinke, R. (2026). The role of high-performance sport environments in mental health: an international society of sport psychology consensus statement. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 24(2), 269-291. https://doi.org/10.1080/1612197X.2024.2437923
[8] Jowett, S., Do Nascimento-Júnior, J. R. A., Zhao, C., & Gosai, J. (2023). Creating the conditions for psychological safety and its impact on quality coach-athlete relationships. Psychology of sport and exercise, 65, 102363. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2022.102363
