Thriving in the Challenge of Geographical Dislocation: A Case Study of Elite Australian Footballers

Abstract

Young adult athletes are often required to relocate as part of their career progression. The transition between their 'old' and 'new' lives can have a positive or negative effect on their future career. The purpose of this study was to identify the processes and characteristics of thriv ing in periods of geographical d islocation; particularly the move away fro m the 'familiar' to the 'unfamiliar'. A partially mixed, sequential design was employed, in itially to identify the indiv idualities of a group of 24 elite athletes. Despite their ho mogeneity on a range of instruments, the outcome variations were not adequately explained. Subsequently, the particular characteristics and processes that contribute to thriving were examined through a sequence of semi-structured interviews, and analysis. The responses that led to positive outcomes (thriving), in co mparison to less positive (surviving), or even negative (languishing) outcomes are identified and discussed. The findings inform the need for a mo re nuanced and detailed cyclic, rather than linear, approach to the t ransition and any associated intervention strategies. Further research is needed to examine this new approach to managing transitions with different groups of participants and in other dislocating and transitional contexts.

The prediction of thriving in elite sport: A prospective examination of the role of psychological need satisfaction, challenge appraisal, and salivary biomarkers

“…3 Literature on thriving in sport has begun to identify the psychosocial variables important for understanding why some performers thrive whereas others do not. For example, exhibiting a readiness for challenge was shown to enable thriving during a geographic transition, 5 and operating within an integrated, inclusive, and trusting environment was suggested to facilitate thriving within a professional team sport. 6 To explain these associations and understand how these factors influence thriving, it is necessary to examine the mechanistic variables at play (i.e., the proximal determinants of thriving).…”

Sports performers' perspectives on facilitating thriving in professional rugby contexts

“…When considering the role that environmental factors play in promoting thriving in sport, it will be important to recognize that variations exist in the nature of settings (e.g., clubs at different competition standards). For example, when relocating as part of earning a professional contract with a club, a young player will move from a familiar setting where he or she will have established support networks to one where he or she may need to create and access new social connections in order to thrive (Harris, Myhill, & Walker, 2012a, 2012b.…”

Thriving Through Relationships in Sport: The Role of the Parent–Athlete and Coach–Athlete Attachment Relationship

“…Examples of personal enablers of thriving in sport have included desire and motivation, goal setting and creating challenge, positive mental state, self-belief, mental toughness, self-regulation, and personal resilient qualities ( Brown et al, 2017b , 2018 ; Gucciardi et al, 2017 ; McNeill et al, 2018 ). Turning to contextual enablers, these have included the depth and sincerity of relationships and the support that can be provided by coaches, support staff, parents, and colleagues/teammates ( Harris et al, 2012 ; Brown et al, 2017b ; Gucciardi et al, 2017 ; Brown and Arnold, 2019 ). Further research is, however, required on the relationship between contextual enablers and thriving in sport, given that Brown et al (2017b) contrastingly found that perceived social support, coach need support, and coach need thwart variables could not significantly predict sport performers’ membership to a thriving profile.…”