Athlete TransitionsMelanie Chowns

Performance Lifestyle Advisor

Aims and Objectives

What is a transition?

A transition has been defined as an event which results in a change in assumptions about oneself and the world and requires a corresponding change in behaviour and relationships. (Nancy Schlossberg, 1981)

The Model of Human Adaptation to TransitionSchlossberg 1981

Transitions

Types of TransitionTransitions (Schlossberg, 1984)

Types of Transition

Athletic Context Personal Development Context

10 15 20 25 30 35

0 15 20 25 30 35

AGE

HigherEducatio

n

PrimaryEduca

-tionProfessional Career

PartnerCoach

ParentsSiblingsPeers

Family(Coach)

PerfectionMastery

Initiation Disconti-nuation

Adolescence

Child-hood (Young) Adulthood

AthleticLevel

Individual Level

Psycho-social Level

Academic

Vocational

Level

Wylleman & Lavellee, 2004

Key Rower transitions

Key Transitions

Normative & Nonnormative

Key Transitions

Normative & Nonnormative

Key School/ University Time TransitionsMost common issues

Athletes who have failed to cope with transitions in their careers

London 2012 drove me to suicide attempt says Olympic winner Tasha Danvers

'I ate so little I'd feel faint during training': How one of Britain's brightest Olympic hopes gave up her sport to save herself from anorexia

Positive and Crisis transitions

Positive Transitions• Athlete makes a relatively quick

and easy adjustment to the demands of a given transition

• Usually occurs if the athlete has the necessary pre-requisites from an earlier transition e.g. theoretical and practical knowledge, skills and attitudes.

• High motivation, positive attitude and coping strategies and is in a positive psychological climate

Crisis transitions• Occur when the athlete has to

make a special effort in order to successfully adapt

• Inability to adjust creates symptoms of low self esteem, emotional discomfort, increased sensitivity to failure, disorientation in decision making and confusion

Factors Associated with the Transition Process

Negative Adjustment Factors• Unplanned• Forced out• Poor Performance• Strong Athletic Identity• Little Assistance• Lack of options• Lack of coping resources• Financial Difficulties

Positive Adjustment Factors• Planned• Voluntary• Achieved goals• Low Athletic Identity• Support network• Balance and options• Coping resources • Financial planning

Case StudiesGroup Discussion and how to help athletes through

transition

Real Life Transition Experiences with our Rowers

Case Study Read the athletes real experience and discuss:

• What are the possible issues facing this athlete in this transition and the implications of those issues?

• What as coaches could you do to help the athlete through this transition?

Real Life Transition Experiences with our Rowers

Case Study 1 – From club rower to GB U23 whilst at Uni

• Athlete X is at the end of her first year at university and rowing for her boat club.

• She has end of first year exams ahead.• She trains largely by herself with a programme set by her club

coach• She goes to GB trials and finishes as one of the top U23’s and

is selected into the squad.

Real Life Transition Experiences with our Rowers

Case Study 2 – From social rower working and at uni to rower on the Start Programme

• Athlete Y rows socially for the first two years of university.• She works full time in the holidays to pay for being at uni.• In year 3 she starts on the Start programme and has no time

for work to increase her income due to rowing commitments.• She has to catch up on uni work in the evenings and in the

holidays.

Real Life Transition Experiences with our Rowers – Case Study 1

Issues• Expectation to travel every

weekend in last term• Impact on exams• Increase in training volume and

new programme• Conflict with uni work – huge

time pressure• Less free time / uni life impact• Difficulty in integrating into squad

Possible Coach Support• Assign Mentor• Build in flexibility into training

programme• Negotiate flexibility with Tutors• Provide practical support in terms

of transport, regular contact• Plan well and communicate

efficiently. Minimal travel option?• Educate athlete around over

training risks and nutrition• Trust athlete issue

Real Life Transition Experiences with our Rowers – Case Study 2

Issues• No money, so stressful when she

has to travel to camps / training and call coaches

• Pressure on parents to provide additional finance, stretching them and stressing the athlete about asking them for help

• Has to buy a single scull! How?• Course work suffers and goes

from 1st’s to 2:1’s• Working 18 hours on training and

study and rest / recovery suffers

Possible Coach Support• Coaches to understand what grants are

available• Coaches to use PL pack for sponsorship

advice• Coaches to help find athlete good paid

coaching jobs – small time commitment, high pay

• Practical support – transport, coaches call athlete

• Good communication across all parties • Understand financial implications and

plan ahead to athlete can plan finances better and get deals.

• Bring in impartial support

Potential support mechanisms and Coping Strategies

The Magic Questions!!• What’s the issue (clarify the goal)• What makes it an issue now?• How important is it on a scale of 1:10• How much energy do you have for a solution on a scale of 1:10• Tell me a bit about the difference in the scores? What would you want the energy score to be?• Who owns the issue/problem?• What are the implications of doing nothing or of letting things carry on as they are?• What have you already tried?• What’s your own contribution to the problem (or how are you getting in the way of this?)• In an ideal world what would be happening around this issue?• What is standing in the way of that ideal outcome?• What’s an example of when it went right and you were motivated to do it?• Imagine you at your most resourceful, what do you say to yourself about this issue?• What are the options for action here? (you might try brainstorming)• What criteria will you use to judge these options?• Which option seems the best one against those criteria?• So what’s the next step / first step?• When will you take it on?• How could I help to ensure you do this?

What can you do as coaches to assist in transition process

• Encourage planning for transition and effective time management and provide information as early as possible to support good planning

• Encourage open and frank communication between all parties – assist them in combining sporting & academic excellence and in developing career and life skills

• Negotiate for and provide flexibility• Provide practical support• Link up athletes / mentor role• Athlete education in the training process to prevent injuries and over training –

quick recognition of this• Support and advise athletes as well as providing them with the opportunity for

independent decision making• Use the Performance Lifestyle Manual to assist athletes in other transitions i.e. job

search, financial planning, time management tools• Ask the “What?” questions when counselling / mentoring athletes to support

athlete accountability

Summary• Sports careers correspond to a sequence of transition phases – each is a

process not a single event• The transition phases occur within their athletic, psychological, social,

academic and vocational development.• We must link the demands of each particular transition with the resources

available to the athletes to support them to make each transition successfully

• Provide practical and psychological support to help them develop their life skills and coping strategies to deal with future transitions

• In this way we can assist rowers at all development levels, stages or transitions to move successfully throughout their sporting career

Thank you