a holistic perspective on the development of junior … · pag. athletic career development...

A HOLISTIC PERSPECTIVE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF JUNIOR

ELITE ATHLETES, ELITE STUDENT-ATHLETES AND FEMALE ELITE ATHLETES

Nathalie Rosier Koen De Brandt

Janja Tekavc Prof. dr. Paul Wylleman

IASF 11th-12th June 2014 University of Bath

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Athletic career development

• Transitions

• Normative and non-normative transitions

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• Research: focus on athletic career termination

• Long-term duration of athletic career: 8-12 years to reach the elite level

5-15 years competing at the highest level of competition

A comprehensive understanding of the occurrence of career transitions throughout the athletic career is

required.

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Athletic transitions

Transitions occurring in other

important domains

• A developmental model on transitions faced by athletes (Wylleman & Lavallee, 2004)

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Holistic Athletic Career model (Wylleman, De Knop, & Reints, 2013)

• Developmental or the “whole-career”

approach

• Holistic or “whole person” approach

• Athletic level

• Psychological level

• Psychosocial level

• Academic/vocational level

• Financial level

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Holistic athletic career model (Wylleman, De Knop, & Reints, 2013)

(Wylleman, De Knop & Reints, 2011)

10 15 20 25 30 35 AGE

Mastery Develop-

ment Initiation

Disconti-

nuation

Psycho-

logical

development

Adulthood Adoles-

cence

Pu-

berty

Child-

hood

Athletic

development

Psycho-

social

development

Partner

Coach – Support staff

Teammates - Students

Peers

Coach

Parents

Parents

Siblings

Peers

Family

(Coach)

Peers

Academic/

Vocational

development

Primary

educa-

tion

Secondary

education (Semi-) Professional career

Higher

education

(Semi-) Professional career

Financial

development

10 15 20 25 30 35

Family Employer NGB/NOC/Government

Sponsor Family

Family

NGB

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Developmental and holistic approach to athletic career development

• Continued development of talented and elite youth athletes into elite senior level

• Combination of elite sport and higher education

• Transitions and challenges in the career development of elite female athletes

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CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT OF TALENTED AND ELITE YOUTH ATHLETES INTO ELITE SENIOR LEVEL Nathalie Rosier

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Literature

• The junior-senior transition is regarded as challenging

• Only 1 junior athlete in 3 makes it successfully into the elite senior level

• Athletes find it difficult to manage the physical, psychological, and practical aspects of participation in an elite senior program

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Aim of the study

Gain a detailed understanding of the changes occurring at five levels of development during the transition from junior to senior athlete.

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Methodology I

Method semi-structured interviews using the holistic athletic career model as guideline (Wylleman, De Knop, &

Reints, 2013)

e.g. What were the changes you experienced at athletic level when going from junior to elite senior athlete?

Data-analysis interviews were transcribed verbatim and

analyzed using Nvivo 10

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Methodology II

Participants high performance directors of the national governing bodies of the 10 Flemish focus sports: athletics, cycling, equestrian sport, gymnastics, hockey, judo, sailing, swimming, tennis, volleyball

10 successful athletes: one of each focus sport

7 unsuccessful athletes: cycling, equestrian sport, hockey, judo, sailing, swimming, tennis

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Athletic level

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Other Starting from zero

Competition Number of competitions

Content of competitions (e.g. more

intense, longer, faster, more tactical)

Difference in opponent (bigger age

category, stronger rivals)

Training Number of training session

Content of training (e.g. more power

training, more individualized)

Staff Importance of good professional staff around the athlete

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Differences between successful and unsuccessful athletes at athletic level

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+ -

Increase of training sessions 80% 28.54%

Increase in number of competitions 70% 29%

Increase in time investment 85.71% 28.57%

Deselection / 57.14%

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Athletic level: High performance directors

• Stress more the structural aspect

• Dropout and reasons for dropout

• Gender difference

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Psychological level

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Mental skills Motivation (internal motivation)

Pleasure (remains important but changes)

Lifestyle increasingly important (e.g. food intake, sleep/rest, recuperation)

Self-confidence Self-regulation (mostly stressed by HPD)

Time-management Goal setting Communication skills

Stress & pressure More pressure (more engaged, have to perform, pressure from within athletes)

Learn better to cope with stress

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Differences between successful and unsuccessful athletes at psychological level

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+ -

Motivation 80% 14.29%

Demotivation / 57.14%

Lifestyle: rest & sleep 90% 42.86%

Goal setting 50% 14.29%

Time management 50% 28.57%

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Psychosocial level

Parents Emotional support

Financial support

Logistic support

Stimulate studies

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Coach Changing coach

Same coach

Relation with coach

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Psychosocial level

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Society Media

Role model

Partner Importance of support

Friends Friends inside sport: double

Friends outside sport: less friends, less contact

Cancel meetings with friends

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Differences between successful and unsuccessful athletes at psychosocial level

+ -

Negative aspects in relation with coach / 42.86%

Parents’ emotional support 100% 71.73%

Parents’ logistic support 100% 71.73%

Parents’ financial support 90% 57.14%

Lack of parental support for athletic career / 71.73%

Less contact with friends 50% 14.29%

Less friends 50% /

Cancel things 80% 28.57%

Going out / 28.57%

Student club / 28.57%

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Psychosocial level: high performance directors

• Structural aspects (e.g. central federal coach)

• Involve parents, communication

• Negative influence of friends

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Academic/vocational level

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Combination higher education Not easy and sometimes even impossible

Flexibilities

Individual study program

Combination with work Impossible, drop out

If they do combine: part time + flexible

Challenges of combination Finding a balance

Importance of the two

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Differences between successful and unsuccessful athletes at academic/vocational level

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+ _

Studies 70% 100%

Studies priority / 57.14%

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Academic/vocational level: high performance directors

• Less credits is requirement for support

• Difficulty of convincing parents

• Importance of career guidance

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Financial level

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Different options of having a professional contract

Bloso Club Army

Other sources of income Federation (NGBs)

Parents

Price money

Sponsor

Own investment

Consequences of having a contract

Performance dependent Salary depends on academic degree

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Differences between successful and unsuccessful athletes at financial level

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+ -

Professional contract 70% Bloso, 20% Club /

Parents 40% 85.71%

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Conclusions

• All participants perceive changes at all the levels of the holistic athletic career model: athletic, psychological, psychosocial, academic/vocational, and financial

• There are differences between successful and unsuccessful athletes

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COMBINATION OF ELITE SPORT AND HIGHER EDUCATION Koen De Brandt

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Introduction

“Over the last 20 years an incredible 61% of Team GB Olympic Games medallists, and 65% of Team GB gold-medallists have been to university.”

(extract from Olympic and Paralympic Games: The Impact of Universities - British Universities and Colleges Sport, published 2012)

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• Student-athletes are good medal prospects

• Population worth researching for individual nation states and institutions for higher education

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Theoretical background

Increasingly, athletes are expected to undertake HE concurrently with their elite sporting careers

(Cosh & Tully, 2014)

Elite athletes continue into HE in view of Personal development Post-athletic career (Hickey & Kelly, 2005) In Flanders 79% of graduated students in Elite Sport Schools (ESS) continues into higher education

(De Bosscher & De Croock, 2010)

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(Wylleman, Reints, & De Knop 2013)

Holistic athletic career model

Psychological development

10 15 20 25 30 35 AGE

Mastery Develop-

ment Initiation

Disconti-nuation

Athletic Development

Family (Coach) Peers

Peers Coach Parents

Parents Siblings Peers

Adulthood Adoles-cence

Pu-

berty Child- hood

Psychosocial development

Academic/ Vocational

development

Family Family NGB

Family Employer NGB/NOC/Govern

ment Sponsor

10 15 20 25 30 35

(Semi-) Professional career Higher

education

(Semi-) Professional career Primary educa-tion

Secondary education

Partner Coach – Support staff Teammates - Students

Financial development

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Dual career in higher education

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Dual career HE

Last year

secondary

education

10 15 20 25 30 35 AGE

Vocational profession

Professional athlete

Primary

educa-

tion

Higher

education

Secondary

education

10 15 20 25 30 35

Transition

secondary –

higher

education

First year

higher

education

Integration

higher

education

Transition

out higher

education

Academic/

Vocational

development

CHANGES & CHALLENGES

(Wylleman, Reints, & De Knop 2013)

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Aim & Method I

Gain a detailed understanding of

the changes (and challenges) student-athletes perceive when they make the transition to a combination of elite sport and higher education

• Design retrospective

• Method semi-structured interviews

• guideline: holistic athletic career model

• (Wylleman, De Knop & Reints, 2013)

• Participants 23 first-year elite student-athletes from the

• Vrije Universiteit Brussel • Data-analysis transcribed verbatim • Nvivo 10

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Aim & Method II

Gain a detailed understanding of

the use and need of athletic, academic and logistic support from university

• Design retrospective

• Method online questionnaire

•

• Participants 100 former and current student-athletes of the Vrije

• Universiteit Brussel

• Data-analysis SPSS 22.0

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Aim & Method III

To explore the academic success of student-athletes

• Design longitudinal

• Method data collection between 2004-2012

•

• Participants 180 student-athletes of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel

• Data-analysis SPSS 22.0

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Athletic level

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Training Sport-specific Technical demands Tactical

Physical

Training volume

Training intensity

Physical development Injury

Competition Sport-specific Competition level

demands Lose more

Not selected

Physical Competition frequency

Lifestyle Lifestyle Nutrition

demands Recuperation

Training schedule

Travel (international competitions)

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Athletic level – Required Support

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Use Need

N=100

(strong – very strong)

% of users

Sport infrastructure 72% 61%

Swimming pool 36% 36%

Omnisports hall 34% 42%

Judo hall 16% 31%

Athletic court 46% 30%

Rugby terrain 11% 18%

Football field 12% 33%

Conditioning/strength 52% 50%

Tennis court 8% 0%

Sport scientific support 33% 33%

Sport/physical support 18% 22%

Medical support 21% 29%

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Psychological level

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Mental skills Motivation

Self-confidence

Concentration

Goal setting

Commitment

Pleasure

Psychological maturation Independency

Maturity / be an adult

Self-regulation

Consistency

Identity Higher athletic identity

Pressure Sport performance

School performance

Combining school and sport

Anxiety Anxiety for new environment

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Psychological level – Required Support

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Use Need

N=100


% of users

Sport scientific

support 33% 33%

Mental support 11% 45%

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Psychosocial level

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Parents Contact frequency decreased

Support (logistic, financial, emotional)

Partner

Have a partner Contact frequency increased Time investment

Coach Positive contact

Change of coach

Not supporting dual career

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Psychosocial level

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Peers inside sport New training group

Contact frequency increased

Training partners can be rivals

Peers outside sport Putting up a new network

Friend group changed to peers inside sport

Environment Performance orientated environment

New structures

Move to a new city Live on your own

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Academic level

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Courses & Other style of teaching

exams Other forms of exams

Increased quantity and difficulty

Decreased attendance rate

Organization More self-study

More freedom and less supervision

Working with student-athlete service

Not always full commitment to academic pursuits due to organizational/time constraints, fatigue or contractual obligation

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Academic level – Required Support

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Use

(N=100)

Need


(% of users)

Absence work colleges 73% 44%

Rehearsal courses 19% 26%

Moving exams 46% 39%

Alternative tasks/exc 38% 50%

• Study planning: 55% individualized route • Higher athletic level: stronger need of academic support (r=0.42; p<0.01)

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Academic success

60

65

70

75

80

85

90

Students

Student-athletes

Mean 76.1 %

vs. 71.1 % *

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Academic success

45

50

55

60

65

70

75

80

85

Men Women General SE Technical SE MSS ESS

Total Gender Secondary school

*

*, *** Significant differences within the student-athlete population

***

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Financial level

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Funding Non-governmental Still input from parents

Club salary raise

Prize money

New sponsor

Manager

Governmental Federation

BLOSO: elite student-athlete contract

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Extra: Logistic level

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Transport Increased distance school-sport-home

Increased time investment Train, live and study in the same place

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Conclusions

• The transition to higher education for promising and elite athletes is perceived as (very) challenging

• Cha(lle)nges occur at the 5 levels of development

• Student-athletes use and need a structural framework that provides academic, athletic, logistic and lifestyle support to optimize their combination of elite sport and higher education

• Good image of Flemish student-athletes regarding academic success

• Male student-athletes and student-athletes with less academic preparation are ‘at risk’

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TRANSITIONS AND CHALLENGES IN THE CAREER DEVELOPMENT OF ELITE FEMALE ATHLETES Janja Tekavc

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Female athletes’ career development

• Models of athletic career development: the stages represent a common pattern in the career of athletes of both genders.

• Little research has focused on the unique experiences and talent development of female athletes (Burton et al., 2006).

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Female athletes’ career development

• Ideas and prejudices about gender

• Specifics in female athletes' career development?

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Female athletes’ perceptions of their athletic career development

• Purpose of the study:

Athletes’ perceptions of their athletic career Explore for possible gender-differences

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Female athletes’ perceptions of their athletic career development

Method

Participants:

- 12 retired Slovene elite athletes;

- 6 male, 6 female

- Basketball, Swimming

Semi-structured interviews:

- Athletes’ perceptions of their dual career development

- The interview guide based on the Holistic Athletic Career model (Wylleman et al., 2013)

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Initiation stage

Combination of primary education and sport

M / F

Connection of sport and school

Initiation into sport through a teacher

1/0

Connection of local sports club and school

2/2

School work Combining school work and sport 2/2

Being a successful student 1/5

Organized approach and time management

0/4

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Initiation stage

Combination of primary education and sport

Female participants: more organized approach, time management of their sport and school work combination

“When I came from school, I did my homework, and then I

went to practice. In the evening, after I came home from the swimming pool, I studied for school.”

(Participant 2, female)

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Initiation stage

M / F

Psychological level Sport enjoyment 4/5

Spending excessive amount of energy

1/2

Psychosocial level Playing together 2/4

Friendships 0/4

Financial level Parental investments 1/3

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“My greatest motivation for sport in that time was the company of other children at the swimming pool. I had lots of friends there and also lots of other girls from my

class were in the same training group practicing with me. We really had a really good time together, it was fun.”


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Developmental stage

Combination of secondary education and sport M / F

School work Combining school work and sport 2/1 Organized support for student athletes

1/1

Being a successful student 0/5 Organized approach and time management

0/5

Doing only as much as necessary 3/0 Sport being more important than school

2/2

Finishing secondary school

Starting a professional athletic career

2/0

Going to the University 4/6

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Developmental stage

M / F

Psychological level

Athletic identity 3/2 Specific development because of sport 1/2 Puberty issues 0/3 Negative body image, weight concerns 0/2

“Puberty and all the bodily changes, such as larger hips, more fat, breasts, was a particularly difficult period for me. I didn’t

make any progress in my athletic results, my performance actually decreased. It was hard for me to go on a training or competition; I began to think about what is wrong with me, whether I should continue with my swimming career or not.”


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Developmental stage

M / F

Psychosocial level

Coach supporting dual career 1/1

Negative relationship with the coach 1/4

Teachers’ support 1/3

Parents supporting dual career 2/4

Motivational role of siblings 0/4

Missing out social activities 1/3

Feeling isolated from peers outside sport 1/3

Conflicts with teammates 1/2

First intimate relationships 2/2

Negative experiences of first intimate relationships

0/3

Avoiding intimate relationships 0/2

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Mastery stage

Combination of higher education and sport

Female athletes

– More often spoke about professional career exploration (1/5)

– Professional interests (also) outside sport (2/4)

– Strong determination to finish university and obtain an academic degree (1/4)

– Dual career as a source of personal satisfaction (0/5)

– Organized approach and time management (1/5)

Male athletes

– Practical reasons for selecting higher education program of study (4/1)

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Mastery stage


“School and studies was always a domain in my life I felt I was good

at. This means that when I had a bad day in basketball or wasn’t in my best form but I passed an exam, I was still pleased with myself. I think I was especially happy I had both – studies and sport - when

things were not going so well in one of those two areas.”


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Mastery stage


M / F

Psychological level No time and energy for other interests 1/3

Adapting to important events 2/3

Gaining independence 5/2

Psychosocial level Significant role of the coach 2/6

Significant role of teammates, other athletes

1/4

Relationships with peers outside sport 0/2

Supportive role of a partner 5/1

Insufficient partner’s support 0/3

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“My boyfriend didn’t understand what it means to have an athletic career as a swimmer. Although he was an athlete as well,

he still couldn’t understand my swimming obligations; what it means to have demanding trainings twice daily and that this

really takes a lot of energy making you tired almost all the time. I was often away from home, abroad, and that also created

problems. I would really need his support at that time, but he didn’t give me any.”


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Discontinuation stage

Professional occupation

M / F

Self-evaluation Transferrable skills and knowledge 0/5

Feeling competent for the job 1/1

Lack of professional experiences 0/3

Lack of knowledge outside sport 2/0

Seeking for additional knowledge 1/2

Current professional occupation

Enjoying the job 5/5

Time for adaptation 0/2

Working relationships 0/2

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Professional occupation

M / F

Dual career Combining athletic and professional career

1/4

Satisfaction 0/2 Working environment support

0/2

Social responsibility of being a former elite athlete

Influencing the sport system 1/3 Giving something back to the sport 2/0

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Psychological, psychosocial, financial level

M / F Psychological level

Change in priorities 1/3

Motivational decrease 3/3

Aging issues 2/1

Psychosocial level

Being a mentor 1/2

Planning a family 0/3

Having children, combining family to sport

4/0

Significant role of the partner 4/0

Financial level Personal financial difficulties 2/2

Financial difficulties of the club 0/2

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Conclusions

• Female athletes’ specifics occurring at all levels of athletic career development

• Female athletes’ specific challenges: e.g., high personal

demands, physical maturation, multiple interests • Female athletes’ specific transitions: e.g., finishing

University, starting a family • Gender specifics in perceptions of dual career

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GENERAL DISCUSSION

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Recommendations for applied work

• Prepare and guide elite athletes before, during and after the specific transitions • Developing mental & organizational skills (e.g. goal setting)

• Lifestyle support, social support, academic support

• Creating an optimal elite sport environment • Effective communication between all the parties

• Educating coaches

• Organizational support • Optimizing dual career support services

• More flexibilities from federations (e.g. student-athletes, athletes being mothers)

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General conclusions

• Athletic careers must be viewed in a “whole-person” lifespan perspective

• Presence of five developmental levels

• Importance of broader context

• Continuous development of the holistic athletic career model: e.g., gender and sport specific athletic career development, dual career...

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Future research

• Quantitative research

• Longitudinal research

• Competences / skills needed to make a successful transition

• Competences for practitioners

• Research the broader context (e.g., organizational support)

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A HOLISTIC PERSPECTIVE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF JUNIOR

ELITE ATHLETES, ELITE STUDENT-ATHLETES AND FEMALE ELITE ATHLETES

Nathalie Rosier Koen De Brandt

Janja Tekavc Prof. dr. Paul Wylleman

IASF 11th-12th June 2014 University of Bath

a holistic perspective on the development of junior … · pag. athletic career development...

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