THE ROLE OF SPORT FUNCTIONARIES IN ATHLETS` DUAL CAREER

In the Article the Author used Qualitative methods: there was done normative document analysis, sport functionaries’ interviews to get the information, opinions and beliefs about elite athletes’ support possibilities in the study and sport development process which is important to the effective management of dual career.Summing sport functionaries’ interview opinion analysis, the author concludes that elite athletes need education to form a way of thinking, a better understanding of themselves, which is also important in order to achieve high results in sport.The majority of respondents recognized that their represented sport federations do not have special support programs for elite athletes. To be able to successfully connect studies and high performance sport, must be created the right environment (infrastructure, study and training plan, etc.) for athletes to save time and energy. Elite athletes also support this environmental significance. Keywords: dual career, elite athletes, sport, education

THE HISTORICAL ASPECT OF DUAL CAREER IN EU AND GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES IN LATVIA

From the information of organisations EUSA (2020), EAS (2022) and FISU (2022) documents, it is indicated that dual careers have been one of the priorities at the EU level in the last decade. Today's complex conditions in the world and in Latvia require paying more attention to Dual career support for student-athletes. Mentor support centres are being created for this in the world. There is no such centre in Latvia yet. The time of an athlete's career is short, so support is needed for students-athletes both for successful studies and high sports achievements.The purpose of the article is to explore the historical formation and growth opportunities of Dual Career in Latvia.Materials and methods. Theoretical method – Analysis of theoretical sources and documents. The study analyses Dual career terminology, historical formation in the world and Dual career opportunities in Latvia. The support of University Sports Centres and mentor centre is needed to provide up-to-date information to student-athletes. Important information for the creation of a dual career centre is identified Within the framework of FISU-NUSF Projects 2022 – Establishment of a Dual Career Mentor Centre in Latvia.

Understanding dual career views of European university athletes: The more than gold project focus groups

Previous studies have found that student-athletes (S-As) have difficulties in achieving dual career (DC) success. However, no studies have analysed the opinion of the S-As on the functioning of DC with a qualitative methodology. The aim of the present work was to collect the opinions of elite university S-As in relation to DC policy adopted by their academic institutions in different European countries. In total, 77 athletes (F = 35, M = 42; age range: 20-25 years) participated in 15 national face-to-face focus groups in five different countries, to discuss aspects that higher education institutes should implement in relation to: 1) the athletes' needs; 2) assistance/tutorship: 2) curricula requirements; 3) financial support; 4) logistic support; 5) social support; and 6) dual career policies. Fifty of the athletes competed in individual sports and twenty-seven team sports. Of them, 57 was enrolled at undergraduate, 17 was enrolled in a master and 3 in a PhD. The athletes were presented with 13 open-ended questions one by one, and were ensured freedom to interact. All the discussions were recorded. After this, a general discussion took place in which the participants identified and agreed on a final list of statements from their focus group deemed to be relevant to DC athletes as university students. Then, at a consensus meeting, the findings were combined, repetitions were eliminated, and fragmented statements were condensed into broader ones. A final list of 31 statements, organized in six related content units, were identified in relation to the athletes' needs (n = 5), assistance/tutorship (n = 5), curricula requirements (n = 4), financial support (n = 4), logistic support (n = 4), social support (n = 6), and DC policies (n = 3), respectively. In conclusion, this cross-national qualitative research study synthesized the S-As views about their needs and the most relevant DC policies and provisions that higher education institutes should provide to ensure them with positive academic experiences towards the achievement of a degree

Dual Careers of Athletes During COVID-19 Lockdown

This study aimed to investigate the student-athletes' capability to face the academic, sport, and social challenges during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown and to disclose novel aspects of dual careers. A 32-item online survey encompassing demographic characteristics, sport and university engagement, support and dual-career benefits, physical activity, sitting time, and the time deemed necessary to recover the previous level of performance was developed. Four hundred sixty-seven student-athletes (males: 57%, females: 43%) from 11 countries, competing in 49 different sports (individual: 63.4%, team: 36.6%) at regional (17.5%), national (43.3%), and international (39.2%) levels, and enrolled at high school (21.9%) and university (78.1%) levels completed the survey. During the lockdown, the respondents decreased the time dedicated to sport and academics, although they maintained an active lifestyle. Student-athletes from countries under severe contagion were more likely to train at home, dedicate to academics, and receive support from the coach but less likely receive support from their teachers. With respect to their team sport counterparts, athletes competing in individual sports trained more and were more likely to receive support from their coaches. International athletes showed the highest training time and support from their coaches and as student-athletes. High school students received more support from their coaches and teachers, whereas university students were more likely considering dual careers useful to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. This study substantiates the relevant role of competitive sports participation in the maintenance of active lifestyles, with student-athletes considering home training and e-learning valuable resources during the lockdown. Furthermore, their sport and academic commitments helped student-athletes cope with the emergency of the COVID-19 pandemic

Go zone map of relevance and feasibility of implementation of dual career aspects.

Quadrant I includes aspects deemed feasible but considered to have a low relevance; Quadrant II includes aspects with low relevance and feasibility; Quadrant III includes aspects deemed relevant but considered to have low feasibility; Quadrant IV includes aspects deemed both feasible and with high relevance.</p

Extant dual career policies and provisions at higher education institutes in descending order.

Extant dual career policies and provisions at higher education institutes in descending order.</p

This file contains all the supporting text and table.

(DOCX)</p

Aspects considered relevant for dual career in descending order.

Aspects considered relevant for dual career in descending order.</p

Frequency of occurrence of dual career services for student-athletes at the higher education institutes.

Frequency of occurrence of dual career services for student-athletes at the higher education institutes.</p