Assessment (EMA) is a real-time data capture strategy designed to repeatedly and intensively sample a phenomenon of interest in the context of everyday life. EMA approaches are increasingly being used to study human behavior in psychology, public health, and related disciplines; however, its use with competitive athletes has been somewhat limited despite its promise for answering novel questions in applied sport psychology. In this article, we provide sport psychology scholars with a practical guide for implementing EMA in research with athletes. Specifically, our purpose is to (a) provide a general overview of EMA; (b) present an empirical example to illustrate how EMA can be used to better understand the etiology and consequences of athlete behavior and performance; (c) discuss challenges of conducting EMA research with athletes; and (d) recommend strategies for designing, implementing, and reporting EMA studies. Incorporating EMA approaches in sport psychology research can promote refinement of theory and inform the development of adaptive interventions that integrate new technology and real-time personalized feedback to athletes.

Former student-athletes may face challenges in maintaining physical activity and engaging in healthy eating after transitioning out of collegiate athletics. Maladaptive adjustments following athletic transitions can result in detrimental outcomes for former student-athletes, ranging from physical health concerns to negative psychosocial consequences. In contrast, positive transitions can promote optimal health and wellbeing. The Moving On! program was developed in recognition of the unique challenges faced by student-athletes and the importance of making healthy transitions out of college sports. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the Moving On! program’s influence on several relevant theoretical constructs that influence health behaviors, including student-athletes’ self-perceptions and self-determined motivation for maintaining physical activity and healthy eating, along with their self-efficacy and intentions for engaging in these health-related behaviors after college. NCAA student-athletes in their final year of competition were recruited from two institutions. Participants (N = 20) completed the Moving On! program along with pre- and post-test surveys and focus group interviews. Survey results revealed positive changes in nutrition-related self-perceptions (t(19) = 2.406; p = 0.026; g = 0.38) and self-efficacy for healthy eating behaviors (t(19) = 3.022; p = 0.007; g = 0.70). No significant changes were observed for exercise identity (p = 0.845), physical activity self-efficacy (p = 0.114), or autonomous motivation for exercise (p = 0.108) and health eating (p = 0.264). Focus group responses indicated that student-athletes’ experiences in the program fostered positive shifts in their self-perceptions, enhanced their self-determined motivation, and reinforced their intentions for engaging in physical activity and healthy eating in the future. Implications for future research and program implementation are discussed.

Athletic identity is a common topic in research on athlete experiences and development. Many researchers rely on the understanding of athletic identity as conceptualized by Brewer, Van Raalte, and Linder (1993). This seminal work provided a foundational understanding for conducting survey research on athletic identity. However, the emphasis on survey approaches has resulted in an incomplete understanding of athletic identity as deeper meanings of the construct are taken for granted (Ronkainen, Kavoura, & Ryba, 2016a). To develop a more nuanced conceptualization of athletic identity, the current study used a qualitative descriptive approach to explore the meaning of athletic identity from the view of current collegiate student-athletes. Participants included nine Division I student-athletes (M age = 19.8; 6 women and 3 men) across several sports. Participants completed individual semi-structured interviews (M time = 47 minutes). Three themes were generated using reflexive thematic analysis: Athletic Identity as "Part of Me"; Commitment to Identity through Athletic Journey; and Self-Recognition of Social Reinforcement. The construct of athletic identity is likened to an iceberg; the reflexive thematic analysis helps describe the complexity of the construct by going beyond the surface view to explore deeper understandings. Such findings are relevant for professionals aiming to more effectively connect with and support this population.

Two American collegiate football linemen completed physical activity surveys, anthropometric assessments, dietary recalls, and blood draws across a 20-month period during which Player A continued training professionally in football while Player B transitioned out of the sport after his final collegiate season. Few changes were observed for Player A, whereas notable changes in physical activity, body mass, and endocrine factors associated with metabolic regulation were noted in Player B. Considerable alterations in physical activity and biomarkers occurred in the immediate transition out of competitive football, suggesting the possibility of long-term health consequences in the absence of future positive lifestyle behavioral changes. Alternatively, the adoption or maintenance of health behaviors could reverse risks. With a greater emphasis on lifespan wellness, this level 2 exploratory case series illustrates a key opportunity for athletic trainers to monitor athletes' cardiometabolic risks over an extended period and implement transitional care strategies to promote postcompetitive health.

There is growing interest in how athletes’ physical activity participation may be impacted when they transition out of competitive sport; however, few studies have examined the process of physical activity transitions in collegiate student-athletes using a qualitative approach. The purpose of our study was to explore student-athletes’ perceptions of, and experiences with, physical activity in the transition out of collegiate sport. Our analysis of transcripts from 13 focus groups conducted with current and former student-athletes (n = 59) suggests that student-athletes experienced a journey from control to liberation as they transitioned into their postcompetitive lives. In this exciting yet challenging transitional journey, participants were faced with navigating newfound autonomy over their physical activity outside of the controlled environment of collegiate sports and were considering the value and meaning of physical activity within a health promoting context. We offer practical recommendations from these findings to support student-athletes in this transition.