An In-depth Appraisal of Career Termination Experiences in Professional Cricket

This qualitative study explored the career termination experiences of 9 male, retired professional cricketers, between the ages of 28 to 40 (M = 34, SD = 4.65). The participants took part in retrospective, semi-structured interviews. Data from the interviews were inductively content analysed within three transition phases of the retirement process: reasons for retirement, factors affecting adaptation, and reactions to retirement. The reasons for retirement were multicausal with the majority of the participants highlighting contractual pressures and a lack of communication as important precursors to retirement. Three main themes accounted for the factors affecting adaptation: a limited pursuit of other interests, developmental experiences and coping strategies. In terms of reactions to retirement, all of the participants reflected negatively on the termination of their career, with a sense of loss and resentment characterising the post-retirement period. The findings illustrated the sport-specific nature of career termination in professional cricket, and added further support to the emerging consensus that the distinction between voluntary and involuntary retirement is, at best, unclear

Factors contributing to the quality of the junior-to-senior transition in Greek athletes

The aim of this study was to investigate which factors contribute to the quality of the junior-to-senior transition (JST) which includes adjustment to senior level, sport and life satisfaction in Greek athletes. The sample consisted of 177 aspiring young Greek athletes who were in the process of JST. Participants completed a Greek version of the Transition Monitoring Survey (TMS) developed by Stambulova et al. (Stambulova, N., Franck, A., & Weibull, F. (2012). Assessment of the transition from junior-to-senior sports in Swedish athletes. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 10(2), 79–95). Multiple regressions were used to assess how key factors related to the JST contribute to the adjustment of athletes to senior level in sport, to their sport and life satisfaction. Results showed that personal resources (p

Effect of various elicitors on lignan biosynthesis in callus cultures of Linum austriacum

Effects of elicitors (mannan, β-1,3-glucan, and ancymidol) on the activity of several key enzymes participating in lignan biosynthesis were studied in Linum austriacum L. cell cultures. The activities of L-phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, polyphenoloxydase, tyrosine ammonia-lyase, soluble phenoloxidase, and membrane-bound and soluble oxidases were assayed. The elicitors under study affected various steps in the metabolic pathway of lignan biosynthesis. Elevated enzyme activity accompanied an elicitor-enhanced synthesis of podophyllotoxins and peltatins.4 page(s

Changes in athletic identity and life satisfaction of elite athletes as a function of retirement status

The purpose of this study was to track changes in athletic identity and life satisfaction of elite athletes over time as a function of retirement status and the voluntariness of retirement decisions. Sixty-two elite Australian athletes from 3 different phases of their athletic careers were surveyed 5 years apart. Athletic identity was shown to decrease as athletes approached retirement. Athletes who retired voluntarily reported an increase in life satisfaction post-retirement. These findings support the need for athlete career education programs that emphasize autonomy and career planning