By Zarina A. Giannone (Cannexus18 GSEP Award Winner)
Evolution of Sport Career Transition Research
Research in the area of sport career transition has demonstrated that 15-20% of retired athletes experience transition distress, often necessitating career intervention and psychological support (Alfermann, 2000; Stambulova, Alfermann, Statler, & Cote, 2009; Wylleman, Theeboom, & Lavallee, 2004). Over the past six decades, several major advances in research and theory have emerged contributing new knowledge about transition coping and adjustment, further characterizing the evolution of career development and intervention with athlete populations. Pioneering studies focused on athletic retirement as analogous to work retirement, often citing the negative and traumatic nature of sport career termination (Sinclair & Orlick, 1993; Brewer, 1993; Brewer, Van Raalte, & Linder, 1993). In the early 2000s, an observable shift occurred in the literature which emphasized the “whole career” approach, focusing on a range of transitions during an athletic career (Durand-Buch & Salmela, 2001), in addition to the departure from the sport setting. Next, athlete career transition theory progressed to include the “whole person” approach, emphasizing a lifespan perspective which considered the intersection of developmental tasks, stages, and challenges relevant to children, youth, and adults (Wylleman & Lavallee, 2004). Finally, the fourth shift spurred research on other relevant contextual factors (e.g., culture, sport administration) impacting sport transition outcomes and intervention development (Stambulova, Stephan, & Japhag, 2007). As such, modern theoretical frameworks embody a holistic, lifespan, and multi-level approach to best capture athletes’ experience of sport career transition (Stambulova et al., 2009; Wylleman et al., 2004).