Growth Following Adversity: a Good Story to Tell? Dr Ross Wadey (Pt2) - Meaningful Sport Series

Many athletes experience adversity at some point in their sporting lives. Although adversity - such as a sports injury or being de-selected - is often thought to be a negative experience, sport psychology researchers have increasingly demonstrated that adverse experiences can also have some positive outcomes for athletes, such as personal growth and finding new meaning in sport or life. But does this seemingly attractive storyline also have a negative or detrimental side to it? How do we know whether athletes simply tell these stories because they are expected to do so, and does it even matter? These and other fascinating questions are explored in this episode with Dr Ross Wadey, who has had a key contribution to understanding the dilemmas associated with this cultural narrative.   

Ross Wadey is an Associate Professor in Sport Psychology at St Mary’s University. He has conducted extensive research on sports injuries (which was the focus of Part 1 of our conversation) and growth following adversity.

Ross is the editor of Sport Injury Psychology: Cultural, Relational, Methodological, and Applied Considerations  and co-editor (together with Melissa Day and Karen Howells) of Growth Following Adversity in Sport: A Mechanism to Positive Change.

You can find out more about Ross and his work here and follow him on Twitter @rosswadey