A taxonomy of dual career development environments in European countries

Abstract

Research question. The last decade has seen an increase in empirical research 2 associated with dual careers in sport, with particular focus on understanding and developing 3 individual characteristics which are important to ensure success in sports and education or a 4 vocation. More recent work has, however, also identified the importance of environmental 5 factors in ensuring successful dual career outcomes. The aims of the current study, therefore, 6 are to: (a) identify and classify the different types of dual career development environments 7 (DCDEs) of countries in Europe; and (b) provide outlines of the key features of the environments identified. 9Research methods. To achieve these aims, this study adopted the procedure of initial documentary analysis, interviews with knowledgeable stakeholders, cross case analysis, and expert interviews and researcher discussions across seven countries in Europe (Belgium,

The Employability Process of Spanish Retired Elite Athletes: Gender and Sport Success Comparison

“…The practical implications of this study are related to the day by day support given to these types of athletes [52]. The first one is to continue studying until a degree is obtained, no matter how much time the athlete needs to attain it.…”

Where Did All the Sport Go? Negative Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown on Life-Spheres and Mental Health of Spanish Young Athletes

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From athletic talent development to dual career development? A case study in a Finnish high performance sports environment

“…The main finding was that the basic assumptions contradicted with the recent recommendations on DC and that the sports academy could be identified as an ATDE, lacking some of the essential features of a successful DCDE. Comparing the features of the Finnish sports to the features of Henriksen et al's (2020) study of what a successful DCDE is, we can see several differences. First, the environment did not have a DC support team, and the school and sport domains lacked communication and coordination.…”

“…Originally, Henriksen et al (2010) introduced the HEA in athletic talent development research to examine Athletic Talent Development Environments (ATDEs), and recently, the Erasmus+ Sport project Ecology of Dual Career (ECO-DC) used the HEA to understand the Dual Career Development Environments (DCDEs) across Europe. Whereas ATDEs aim to guide talented athletes to reach the highest levels in their respective disciplines (Henriksen & Stambulova, 2017), DCDEs aim to encourage athletes to combine their sporting pursuits with education or work (Morris et al, 2020). Henriksen et al (2020) consequently implemented the HEA in the study of a Danish athlete-friendly university and found that a successful environment (a) had a DC support team working to integrate efforts; (b) arranged individual solutions and facilitates athletes' choices through inspiring stories; (c) connected student-athletes via narrative resources; (d) taught student-athletes DC skills and encouraged them to take responsibility for balancing their DC endeavours; and (e) had a philosophy that puts sports first and recognised that finding a balance is a process and that student-athletes must be seen as whole persons.…”