Elite Athlete Career and Education Why it is important

Elite athletes have several things in common. The will to win. The drive to succeed, the passion to pursue super human goals, the glory of the gold and in many circumstances and the ability to overlook planning for the long-term future after playing sport has finished. To live in the present moment is important, however to plan for when winning is no longer the priority is more imperative. Being prepared for a life that looks different after playing elite sport is essential for elite athletes. This article will introduce you to a few fundamental concepts of Athlete Career and Education and why it is important.

What many people forget is that the average athletic career span for an elite athlete is only around five years (Rosenberg & Teal 2014) To put this in perspective, this leaves around fifty (yes, 50) years for an elite athlete to have a second career. What. Will. They. Do?

After spending so much time preparing from a young age and then finally becoming an elite athlete, its challenging to consider themselves as anything else. This is called and the athletic identity (Martin, 2017). If an athlete stops playing and is no longer an athlete… who are they? Can they be an athlete and have a second life away from sport at the same time? The answer is yes... this is called having a dual career (Tekavc, Wylleman, & Cecic Erpic, 2015).

A dual career for an elite athlete is important in preventing the many different issues that an athlete may face in athletic retirement. These range from financial instability, mental health issues such as depression and anxiety, personal identity issues, drug and alcohol abuse, social abstinence (Cosh, Crabb & LeCouteur, 2012) and the list goes on. We can all think of an athlete who has “fallen off the rails” at some point publicly. What if these athletes had a “Plan B” in place or something to transition to?

Elite athlete transitions and knowing how to manage them are equally as important. While a non-athlete manages normal life transitions (high school- tertiary education- work force), elite athletes are often managing several simultaneously. This additional transition can include living at home with parents to moving interstate with a team, moving from junior teams to senior teams, or it may be from a senior team to athletic retirement and into a non-athletic vocation. These transitions can be difficult, especially while trying to maintain competing at an elite level. With the right support and processes in place it becomes much easier [endif]--(Gordon and Lavallee 2004).![endif]--

There are many options for athletes to plan for post athletic career, however knowing who they want to be is half the battle. The bigger and more daunting questions is how do they become that? This is where an organisation like Smart Sports Consultants can help by understanding what it means to be an elite athlete and to know how to successfully support elite athletes in managing a dual career. Smart Sports Consultants can assist elite athletes through the tough transitions and help provide clarity, future direction and a bright outlook for when that inevitable day comes to hang the elite sports uniform up for good.

If you would like to know more on how Smart Sports Consultants can help you as an elite athlete or athletes in your sports organisation, please get in touch today.

ceran@smartsports.net.au

References

• Cosh, S., Crabb, S., & LeCouteur, A. (2012). Elite athletes and retirement: Identity, choice, and agency. Australian Journal of Psychology, 65(2), 89-97.

• Martin, J. J. (2017). Athletic Identity. Oxford Scholarship Online.

• Rosenberg, M., Teal, R. (2014) AFL Careers and Injuries: Perspectives of former Players

• Tekavc, J., Wylleman, P., & Cecić Erpič, S. (2015). Perceptions of dual career development among elite level swimmers and basketball players. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 21, 27-41.

• Gordon, S. and D. Lavallee (2004). "Career transitions in competitive sport." Sport psychology: Theory, applications and issues (2nd ed.)

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