Career transitions in sport

First paragraph: In 2000, an extensive literature search on the topic of career transitions in sport generated over 220 references - a number which was ten times higher than the references available in 1980 (Lavallee, Wylleman, & Sinclair, 2000). The interest in this area has been reflected in the international scholarly co-operation promoted by the Special Interest Group on Career Transitions (SIG-CT) initiated in 1993 (Wylleman, Lavallee, & Alfermann, 1999) and which brought the theme of career transitions to the forefront at many international congresses ( [Alfermann, 1998], [Alfermann, 2000], [Alfermann & Stambulova, 2001], [Stambulova, 1997], [Wylleman, 1995], [Wylleman & Alfermann, 1997], [Wylleman et al., 2001], [Wylleman & Schilling, 1997] and [Wylleman & Stambulova, 1999]). For example, no less than 22 papers related to the topic of career transitions were presented during the past 10th World Congress of Sport Psychology in 2001! This co-operation has also been supported by the Managing Council of the European Federation of Sport Psychology (FEPSAC) and has resulted not only in a FEPSAC Position Statement on Career Transitions (FEPSAC, 1999) but also in a volume of the FEPSAC Monograph Series (Wylleman et al., 1999)

A Mixed Methods Evaluation of a Pressure Training Intervention to Develop Resilience in Female Basketball Players

he present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a resilience development intervention, set up around regular exposure to increased pressure. This intervention adopted a quasi-experimental design, delivered within an elite female basketball academy. The mixed methods evaluation combined individual and team resilience measures with semi-structured interviews with athletes and coaches. Quantitative results demonstrated that the intervention was effective in reducing team level vulnerabilities. Qualitative evaluations indicated that the intervention led to increased awareness, emerging leadership, stronger communication channels, and the development and execution of collective plans. Furthermore, potential avenues for intervention improvement were also addressed Lay Summary: This study aimed to test a resilience training intervention based on pressure exposure during practice. Results within a female elite basketball academy indicated that both athletes and coaches believed the team became more resilient to in-game stressors and less susceptible to team-level vulnerabilities

The COVID-19 pandemic and Olympic/Paralympic athletes’ developmental challenges and possibilities in times of a global crisis-transition

Our aim in this invited commentary is to stimulate discussion among sport psychology researchers and practitioners regarding the unique developmental challenges and possibilities that Olympic and Paralympic athletes are undergoing during their final – extended year of the Tokyo 2020 quadrenium. We begin the commentary with COVID-19 pandemic (C-19) context setting, proceed with discussing transitional and holistic perspectives on athletes’ Olympic/Paralympic journey, outline three potential pathway scenarios and “C-19 as a possibility-provider” coping (meta-) scenario for Olympic/Paralympic athletes, and finalise our commentary with a summary of messages intended to invite further discussion and collaboration

Student-athletes' perceptions of four dual career competencies

In order to assess athletes' competencies required for a successful combination of elite sport and education, the perceptions of 107 Flemish elite student-athletes of the importance, possession, and need to develop four dual career competencies (DC management, DCM; Career Planning, CPL; Mental Toughness, MTO; Social Intelligence and Adaptability, SIA) were investigated using the Dual Career Competency Questionnaire for Athletes (DCCQ-A; De Brandt et al., 2017). Participants perceived all four competencies as important for a successful DC, reported average to good possession of DC competencies, and perceived a general need to develop their DC competencies. Female student-athletes rated the importance of three of four DC competencies (DCM, CPL, SIA) as well as their perceived possession of the competency DCM higher than their male counterparts, and evaluated a stronger need to develop the competencies MTO and SIA. The study confirmed the relevance (high importance) of the four DC competencies in a sample of Flemish student-athletes, and recommends that gender differences be considered in the development of student-athletes' DC competencies.Con el objetivo de evaluar las competencias necesarias para combinar con éxito el deporte de élite y la educación, se han investigado las percepciones de importancia, posesión y necesidad de desarrollo de competencias para la Carrera Dual (CD; Gestión de CD, DCM; Planificación de Carrera, CPL; Fortaleza Mental MTO; Inteligencia social y Adaptabilidad, SIA respectivamente por sus siglas en inglés) en 107 estudiantes-deportistas Flamencos mediante el Cuestionario de Competencias para la Carrera Dual de Deportistas (DCCQ-A, por sus siglas en inglés; De Brandt et al., 2017). Los participantes perciben las cuatro dimensiones de competencias como importantes para una CD exitosa, reportan una posesión entre media y buena de competencias y, aun así perciben una necesidad general de mejorar sus competencias para la CD. Las estudiantes-deportistas femeninas puntúan la importancia de tres de las cuatro competencias (DCM, CPL, SIA) así como la posesión percibida de DCM más alta que los deportistas masculinos, y evalúan una necesidad más fuerte de desarrollar las competencias MTO y SIA. El estudio ha confirmado la relevancia (alta importancia) de las cuatro competencias de CD en una muestra de estudiantes-deportistas Flamencos y sugiere que debe tenerse en cuenta las diferencias de género, en el desarrollo de las competencias para seguir una CD estudios-deporte

Acquisition and maintenance of excellence:the challenges faced by Dutch top-level gymnasts throughout different stages of athletic development

The purpose of the present study is to identify the within-career challenges top-level gymnasts experience during the initiation, development and mastery stage of athletic development in training sessions, competition, and in daily life. In-depth interviews are used to explore the perceived challenges of 16 talented and elite gymnasts (M = 16.5 years, SD = 4.6 years). Participants are divided into three groups, according to the stage of their athletic development. Several challenges are perceived in all stages of athletic development (e.g. learning new elements, dealing with stress under pressure, dealing with distractions and managing their dual career). As the number of different challenges increases as the gymnasts reach the mastery stage, challenges seem to become more personal and specific than in previous stages. The study shows obvious differences in the nature of the perceived challenges for different stages of athletic development, which provides useful insights for those who work with talented and elite athletes