The impact of alumni football on adult mental wellbeing: a serial mediation analysis of athletic identity and social connectedness

Background Escalating life pressures among adults are increasingly associated with social isolation. Distinct from general team sports, “Alumni Football” facilitates a unique dual-mechanism of identity restoration and social reconnection, particularly for adults navigating the loss of former athletic roles. However, the specific pathways through which re-established athletic identity relates to social connectedness and correlates with wellbeing remain under-explored. Methods This study employs a cross-sectional design involving 240 alumni football participants. Using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), it systematically analyzes the structural relationships between participation, athletic identity, social connectedness, and mental wellbeing. Results The data analysis delineates a specific chain mediation path: actual participation is positively associated with athletic identity, which is linked to social connectedness, ultimately correlating with mental wellbeing. Notably, while athletic identity serves as a crucial link, it exhibits no significant direct association with mental wellbeing (β = 0.05). This finding implies that athletic identity alone, lacking the support of social connectedness, may be insufficient to relate to improved psychological health during the transition out of competitive contexts. Conclusion Findings underscore the positive relationship between alumni football and adult mental wellbeing, highlighting social connectedness as the core mediator. The study suggests leveraging alumni networks for mental wellbeing interventions, advocating a strategic pivot from merely emphasizing “exercise volume” to cultivating identity-based “sporting communities” to potentially mitigate social isolation risks.