Impact of casual leisure on serious leisure experiences and identity in a Canadian junior hockey context (original) (raw)

The purpose of this study was to explore dropout amateur Junior hockey players' perceived leisure lifestyle when pursuing Junior hockey and how casual leisure influences serious leisure identification and perceived performance. A total of 15 dropout amateur Junior hockey players participated in this study. Each took part in a semi-structured interview. Findings suggested that amateur Junior hockey players perceived their leisure lifestyle as less than optimal prior to dropping out, which had a negative influence on serious leisure identification, performance and perception of hockey. This was mainly because participants over-identified to hockey and neglected other leisure interests, such as casual leisure activities. Furthermore, findings suggested that casual leisure participation could be beneficial towards serious leisure identification and mental and physical performance. This study also highlights the sensitive relationship between some of the characteristics of serious leisure pursuers.