Psychological effects of retirement on elite athletes
Date
2007-03
Authors
Marthinus, Jantjie M.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
Abstract
This study was designed to gain a better understanding of the way in which
the quality of the sport-career termination is quantitatively affected by
athletic and non-athletic factors. A further objective of this study was to
contribute and broaden the knowledge base on the athletic careertermination
process and endeavour to add new information to the existent
body of knowledge on the career-ending process in the world of sport. This
study is a sport-specific view on South African track and field and road
running athletes’ retrospective views on their retirement. In line with the
relevant literature, the influence of athletic (voluntariness and gradualness
of sport-career termination, subjective view of athletic achievements, postsport
life planning, and athletic identity) and non-athletic factors (e.g., age,
educational status) on different aspects of sport-career difficulties was
investigated.
In phase 1 of the research, 104 retired track and field athletes completed an
adapted version of the Cecic-Erpic’s (2000) Sports Career Termination
Questionnaire II (SCTQ II). These athletes had been retired for no less than
one year with an athletic career at national and international level and were
asked to describe in retrospect their experiences and reactions to their
athletic career termination.
The SCTQII was developed to evaluate the characteristics of the sport-career
termination process, the characteristics of the active sport-careertermination
transition to post-sport life, and adaptation to post-sport life.
In phase 2 of the study, 23 retired South African elite athletes were
individually interviewed. An interview guide was developed which probed the
sport career of the athletes in depth, from the initial start to the sport career
to the process of disengaging from elite sport. The data from the interviews
were content analysed.
Description
Thesis (PhD (Sport Science))—University of Stellenbosch, 2007.
Keywords
Dissertations -- Sport science, Theses -- Sport science, Athletes -- Retirement -- Psychological aspects, Career changes -- Psychological aspects, Sport-career termination, Post-sport life