ScholarWorks@중앙대학교

초록

Purpose: This study explores how the participation experiences of members of Korean female amateur baseball clubs are constituted and elucidates the essence of those experiences. Methods: Data were collected through open-ended surveys with 109 female amateur baseball club members, followed by in-depth interviews with 10 selected participants. Following Moustakas’ empirical phenomenological procedure, the researcher examined pre-understandings, segmented participants’ statements into meaning units, and integrated recurring meanings to derive themes. The analysis then distinguished textural descriptions (what was experienced) from structural descriptions (how the experience occurred and under what conditions), integrating them to construct the essence of the experience. Results: Participation motivation reflected an orientation toward finding and expanding “a place of one’s own as a baseball player.” Constraints operated in combination, including limited access to facilities, leagues, and schedules; economic burdens related to equipment and travel; relational tensions and information asymmetries within a male-dominated culture; and weather-related risks and injury hazards. The experience of continued participation was structured through the coordination of choices, the reorganization of relationships, the formation of everyday rhythms, and the construction of identity. Conclusion: The essence of participation was a process of negotiating constraints while creating “one’s own space” for baseball within everyday life. The findings indicate the need for institutional foundations that expand participation opportunities and provide safety support, the establishment of public information systems, and team management practices that reflect fairness and care.

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