The relationship of Social Capital of Iran National Canoe Polo Team with Athletic Achievement

Purpose background:

Social capital is a structure that, through expansion of social networks, building trust, and creation of norms, assists an individual to achieve their goals. The highest goal of national team athletes is athletic achievement. Hence, the current study aims to investigate the relationship of social capital of Iran national canoe polo team with athletic achievement.

The type of this study is descriptive-correlational. The subjects of this study are all the athletes of Iran national canoe polo team in 2014, including 22 individuals (8 men and 14 women). The research tool is a researcher-made sports social capital questionnaire with three main dimensions: trust, norms, and network. The reliability of the questionnaire was approved using Confirmatory factor analysis and sequential Theta coefficient (0.93). To answer research questions, Bayesian analysis was used.

the estimated model of all the routes of social capital, trust and its features, social norms and social networks, are related with the success rate. No significant difference was observed in social capital and any of its dimensions, between the female and male athletes of Iran national canoe polo team (0.0776≥0.05).

Social capital is related with the athletic achievement. It is suggested that in terms of cultural policy with emphasis on Educational and cultural subheadings, Planned for upgrade the level of social capital of athletes.