Rethinking dual careers: success factors for career transition of professional football players and the role of sport entrepreneurship

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this longitudinal study is to examine the dual career and entrepreneurial experiences of professional football players and their influence on the career transition process to entrepreneurship or employment.Design/methodology/approachThe study examined a Portuguese employer–employee data set from 1991 to 2017 using the logit model, a binary choice regression model that allows predicting the probabilities of two possible qualitative and binary outcomes.FindingsEntrepreneurial experience is the key driver for retired football players to pursue entrepreneurship. Having a dual career and working during the athletic career leads to higher chances of continuing in the labor market as an employee. Higher education levels did not significantly influence the decision to pursue a second career but having secondary education increases the chances of continuing as an entrepreneur.Research limitations/implicationsFirst, the study aims to shed light on success factors in career transition of professional football players who engage in a dual career. Second, the authors introduce sport entrepreneurship as a possible activity alongside an athletic career.Practical implicationsAthletes can benefit from the experience they gain during a dual career in the process of career transition. Working in the final year of an athletic career represents a promising strategy to gain work experience alongside sport without jeopardizing sporting success.Originality/valueThis study adds evidence to the contemporary discourse on dual career theory and career transitions and reconciles the theory of sport entrepreneurship and dual careers.

An exploration of the antecedents and mechanisms causing athletes’ stress and twisties symptom

“…In addition, anger, love, inspiration, and awareness increase within-person mental resilience ( Cooper et al., 2018 ). These factors can be supported to improve and maintain mental resilience by coach, parental involvement, governmental involvement and sports psychologist perspective ( Anthony et al., 2017 ; Hussey et al., 2019 ; Jones, 2018 ; Jewett et al., 2018 ; Ramos et al., 2021 ; Schulenkorfa and Siefken, 2018 ; Weinberg et al., 2020 ; Whitton et al., 2020 ).…”

Exploring Entrepreneurial Attitudes among Sports Domain Students: A Comparative Analysis of Transition Perspectives and Challenges

“…Sports clubs manage logistical aspects such as accommodation, meals, and transportation for athletes, encapsulating them in this specialized environment (Constantin et al, 2020;Rusu, 2018;Kenny, 2015). However, the conclusion of a sports career marks a significant shift, bringing forth a new reality marked by limited financial resources and a sudden transition to an environment where their athletic skills may not seamlessly translate into the job market (Boyd et al, 2021;Rusu et al, 2022;Ramos et al, 2022).…”

Sport entrepreneurship: the role of innovation and creativity in sport management

“…Additionally, there is growing interest in how athletes can drive entrepreneurship and social change; however, formal support for athletes who wish to venture into entrepreneurial activities is limited (Moustakas and Kalina 2021). A promising strategy to support the successful entrepreneurial transition of former athletes is to gain work experience through a dual career, especially during the last year of their active athletic careers (Ramos et al 2022). In addition, in the subject area of entrepreneurship, there has recently been a general increase in empirical studies, and this can be another factor that positively influences the conceptual development of the theme.…”

“…Despite the increasing interest in sport entrepreneurship, there is a lack of research that specifically investigates the performance of sport entrepreneurs in the business realm. Existing studies have mainly focused on the characteristics and motivations of sport entrepreneurs (Ramos et al 2022;Winand et al 2023), as well as the challenges they face in the sport industry (Goxe and Viala 2010;Parris et al 2014). However, the specific individual factors that contribute to the success or failure of sport entrepreneurial ventures have not been thoroughly examined.…”