Sporting bodies, ageing, narrative mapping and young team athletes: an analysis of possible selves Cassandra Phoenix* and Andrew C. Sparkes University of Exeter, UK Drawing on life history data generated from interviews with young athletes at an English university, this paper explores the narrative maps provided to them by older team members and the ways in which these influence perceptions of self-ageing. Three possible selves associated with mid-life emerged from the analysis for detailed focus. These are the preferred self (Almost past it ), the feared self (Hanging on ) and the reluctant self (Stepping aside ). The implications of each of these selves for the ageing experience are considered. Finally, some suggestions are made as to how the narrative resources of young athletes might be expanded. Keywords: Possible selves; Ageing; Narrative; Young athletes Introduction Changes to the body play a substantial role in perceptions and experiences of ageing across the life course and are mediated by the social and cultural context (Nettleton & Watson, 1998). Similarly, Howson (2004) points out how physical signs of ageing are interpreted in culturally specific ways that, in turn, contribute to an individual’s awareness and experiences of ageing. However, having recognized the significance of the changing body for individual’s understanding and experiences of the ageing process, to date, there is limited research exploring these issues in specific populations such as athletes. This is, perhaps, surprising given the importance of sport as a context where youthful, fit, performing bodies are emphasized and celebrated. Through sport, athletes may inhabit and engage with the world via particular kinds of ‘high-performance’ bodies that have certain characteristics. For example, their bodies are often extremely disciplined and shaped by various regimes and technologies designed to ensure corporeal control and predictable performance outcomes (Frank, 1991; Sparkes, 1998, 2004). Moreover, while the body is immediately relevant to the identity that any individual attempts to promote, it is *Corresponding author. Qualitative Research Unit, School of Sport and Health Sciences, Exeter University, St Luke’s Campus, Exeter EX1 2LU, UK. Email: H.C.Phoenix@exeter.ac.uk ISSN 1357-3322 (print)/ISSN 1470-1243 online/07/010001-17 # 2007 Taylor & Francis DOI: 10.1080/13573320601081468 Sport, Education and Society Vol. 12, No. 1, February 2007, pp. 1  17