topic 5.2 - transition & retirement in sport

thomas hall

Lost his drive in between the next olympics and decided to retire after 20 years of doing the sport at a high level

At the moment it felt good → weight off his shoulders

But eventually feel ,like you've passed ur peak and lost drive even as a young man

His key advice for post athletic careers:

Best things to do is to do something - get a job, do things, get experience , find something that motivates you

- make many goals and hobbies

Holistic Athlete Career Model (Wylleman et al., 2011)

Best model to speak to transition and retirement

- adresses specific ages

- uses wiggly lines to rep. transitions

- speaks to dif somains:

1. psychosocial (who influences us at eacg age)

2. academic vocational level (what school level were at)

3. athletic level ( from initiation to develtopment to mastery and even discontinuation)

4. social

Key challenges for retired athletes

- Shift in identity,

- Loss of social networks - Lack of career ambitions

- Risk to physical/mental health

*eg. katleyin osmaond who had a panic attack in a gym going back to "normal" PA

tips for transition from ksta guloien (olymic rower)

- Support systems → family, friends, partners

- Preparation & planning → don’t wait until retirement

- Develop identity outside sport → hobbies, career

- Set new goals → maintain motivation

- Make meaning of sport experience → transferable skills

- Normalize the transition → it’s a process, not instant have mamy priotities

- be okay with being a noob and not an expert at smt

- have awareness of wht you loved and waht ur happy to lose

Eg. olympica canada game plan:

Program to help athletes live wellness during their peak careers and beyond

Model: Quality of Transition out of Elite Sport (Kuettel et al, 2017)

Areas of focus:

1. Characteristics of career end:

- Was it forc ed or by choice, timing, plans for future

2. Characteristic of environment

- Familysupport

resources

3. Characteristic of individual

- Who is this person, age, gnder, income, confidence

**All depict the quality of the transition

Will there be emotion, social financial difficulties.

bridging the gap bw youth and adult sport *non-elite: 3 themes w an example

1. get young ppl to community clubs

- by making them suppotinve, offer a platform for skill development

2. build club loyaly, sport commitment and identiy

- by balancing commetitive and social programs, getting them to connecte w teamates, junior senious mentoring

3. create opportunties for continued sport in adulthppd

- by providing a gradual introduction to senior programs, offer flexibiliy in terms of commutment