竞技体育是我国体育事业的重要组成部分 ,运动员是竞技体育的主体。运动员作为一个特殊社会群体 ,其特征和作用已日益凸显出来。从 4个方面提出了创建运动员社会学的依据 ;探讨了运动员社会学的研究对象和内容、学科性质及意义。分析了运动员社会学与其它相邻学科的关系 ,提出了进行运动员社会学研究的方法论原则和方法。 Competitive sports is an important part of sports in China. Athletes are the main body of competitive sports. Athletes, as a special social group, have become increasingly prominent in their features and functions. From four aspects, it puts forward the basis of establishing sociology of athletes. It also discusses the research objects and contents, disciplinary nature and significance of sociology of athletes. The relationship between athlete sociology and other adjacent disciplines is analyzed, and the methodological principles and methods of athlete sociology research are put forward.