Sports and work-life balance among adult sportswomen: the case of Valencia's Hockey Mamis

Abstract

This article examines sports practice among women aged 40-55 in the context of the field hockey teams classified as Hockey-Mamis within their federation. This modality of hockey positively reinforces female participation in sports throughout women's lives, especially for those at an age when work and family responsibilities are particularly intense. In the article, we aim to analyze how women balance those responsibilities with their sports training. The methodological approach used was a case study, which involved observing participants and conducting semi-structured interviews with the Mamis of Valencia's Hockey Club (CH) and members of the management and technical teams. As compared to the alarming statistical data that suggest an increase in sports dropout among middle-aged women, the results of this study reveal some good practices which make this specific case a recreational space where friendships are born, and the times for sports and life are successfully managed and balanced by the women who take part in it.