STUDENT-ATHLETE TRANSITION AFTER SPORT

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2 STUDENT-ATHLETE TRANSITION AFTER SPORT

3 Physical Challenges of Moving On! DeAnne D. Brooks, Ed.D., CSCS, C-EP Salem College

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5 CVD risks more strongly related to current PA than a history of sport participation (Pihl et al., 1998)

6 Problem Summary Former Student-Athlete Participation Data ~3 out of 4 report experiencing difficulty with retiring from competitive sport (NCAA SCORE data) >1/3rd say that they only participate in vigorous exercise sometimes, seldom, or never (NCAA SCORE data) Most become less active after college; substantial portion inactive (Reifsteck et al., 2013; 2016) Health Implications for Former Student-Athletes Report lower health-related quality of life (Simon & Docherty, 2014) 44% classified as overweight or obese (Kerr et al., 2014) Bodily changes after retirement from sport negatively associated with selfesteem and physical self-worth (Stephan et al., 2007)

7 Culture of elite athletics (Brooks, 2010) Athletic identity (Reifsteck, 2013)

8 Examining the Student-Athlete Experience Through the NCAA GOALS and SCORE Studies San Antonio, Texas January 13, 2011 Presented at the NCAA Convention 8

9 T & F familiarities I d try to trick myself and think I m running track. So I d go through the strength conditioning and then I d go on the track and I m like, OK, well my body needs a track meet. I didn t understand it so it got frustrating because I had nothing to look forward to I ve been doing stuff competitive for so long it s hard to just do it for fun. 9

10 T & F Familiarities Track was really rigid so you didn t go ice skating because you didn t want to twist your ankle. You didn t go rock climbing because you didn t want to be exhausted at practice. I swam for a while when I stopped running just cause swimming is exhausting so Coach always told us to stay out the water; don t come to the track with dead legs. 10

11 T & F familiarities As an athlete, you re used to having everything slotted. You have to go to school; you have to go to meets; you have to go to the dining hall. Everything was scheduled. And you were accountable because your roommates or your coach would call you; your parents still cared. Then afterwards, you were like, go do your thing for your health? 11

12 Mis-education of the athlete Physical Health Overall, 95% of current student-athletes have indicated that they have sought care for physical health issues from health care professionals on campus. Of those, 78% were satisfied with the care they received. In spite of seeking care for issues, 85% of current student-athletes believe that athletics participation has had a positive influence on their physical health, and an additional 6% believe it has had no influence positive or negative. Overall, 90% of former student-athletes believe that college athletics had a positive impact on their current physical health. It s not about health, it s about performance!!! --Theberge,

13 Mis-education of the athlete For me, peace of mind is probably number one. And because working out is just something I hate doing, it doesn t give me peace of mind. So I ll crochet, I ll read a book, I ll do stuff for friends, I ll drink wine. I will do whatever makes me happy and everything else that doesn t make me happy really goes to the back burner. 13

14 Mis-education of the athlete I ve been to class and I m spinning and I ll judge and I ll be like, how is she beating me? And I will not stop if she doesn t stop. One time I made myself sick. Cause I m an athlete and they kept saying that. And I was doing lunges on the first day back. So I m doing it and I m looking at the girl working out with us and I m like, no way she should be able to do this stuff and I can t. It s just the fact that I m an athlete. It doesn t matter that it s been ten years. I was an athlete at a D-I school. You feel like you re supposed to be able to do certain things. I physically got sick after I went home. I couldn t move my leg. I couldn t walk. I pushed myself that hard because I could not let those girls I m an athlete. I used to be an athlete. (Chris)

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16 Strategies/ Resources

17 Examining the Student-Athlete Experience Through the NCAA GOALS and SCORE Studies San Antonio, Texas January 13, 2011 Presented at the NCAA Convention 17

18 Strategies 1. Communicate the difference between health-related physical activity and competition-related 18

19 Strategies 1. Communicate the difference between health-related physical activity and competition-related training 2. Think and listen carefully before asking an injured athlete to compete 19

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21 Strategies 1. Communicate the difference between health-related physical activity and competition-related training 2. Think and listen carefully before asking an injured athlete to compete 3. Model health-related physical activity 21

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23 Resources It's kind of like a How To guide, be your own person and not be so like just a product of your environment. Like, set your own environment. Research for this project was funded by an NCAA Innovations in Research and Practice Grant to improve the well-being of the student-athlete.

24 Examining the Student-Athlete Experience Through the NCAA GOALS and SCORE Studies San Antonio, Texas January 13, 2011 Presented at the NCAA Convention 24

25 Thank You! Contact:

26 TRANSITION FROM SPORT Carmen Tebbe Priebe, Ph.D.

27 Transitions Transitions occur when an event or non-event results in a change in assumptions about oneself and the world and thus requires a corresponding change in one s behavior and relationships, (Schlossberg, 1981, p. 5). Sport transitions are more of a process, rather than single event Great variability in reactions to retirement from sport

28 Schlossberg s Adaptation to Transitions Model Adaptation to transitions impacted by: Appraisal of the transition Perceived as a challenge or threat? Personal characteristics Available coping skills Other stress affecting functioning Skills/competencies Environment Support from others Political dynamics Barriers

29 Transitions Adaptation to transitions impacted by: Timing of event normative/non-normative? Perceived control voluntary or involuntary? Injury Deselection not talented enough Age/Timing eligibility used up Free choice» Even if it was a choice, athlete might feel they are letting family/friends down

30 Mental Health Considerations Increased risk for depression, anxiety, substance abuse, etc. due to feeling loss of identity Anxiety about future oriented plans Mood enhancing benefits of exercise may no longer be as available Disordered eating habits that were considered normal within sport culture Athletes are often hesitant to ask for help

31 Athlete Identity How much an athlete identifies with the athlete role is a critical mediator of adjustment Athlete identity can be a positive in terms of perseverance towards athletic goals, yet a barrier when terminating their career Stronger identity might take longer to adjustment - help them identify careers that might align with that identity Some athletes have never considered who they are without the athlete context Athletic identity foreclosure

32 Athlete Identity What we as athletes take note of is how important everyone else sees us when we are in that role. That role then starts to take full shape within our minds. We start to think that we are valued most as an athlete. We are cared for most when we put on that uniform. We are exalted for what we do within the confines of those white boundaries. Slowly, we start to look at ourselves the same way. We are important. On the field. We are loved. On the field. We are cared for. On the field. We are valuable to society. On the field. We are athletes. We are what you say we are. That is me. I am an athlete. Until I'm not.

33 Athlete Identity I am an athlete until my legs no longer run fast anymore. I am an athlete until my eyes don't scan the field quick enough. I am an athlete until my strength isn't as strong as a new athlete. I am only an athlete as long as I can do what you want me to do. And my time as an athlete is short. And then my time as an athlete is gone. You see, when the game is taken away and we can no longer be counted on to do all of the things we have been told we are valuable for, we are lost. We are no longer useful to society. That part of us is gone. If I identify myself as athlete and the sport is taken away from me, I am no longer me. I am no longer worthy to be myself. I have a hole where I used to be. I fought this every day. I knew the end I would eventually meet in this game, so I never let that be the cornerstone to me. Excerpt from a post by Jeff Woody (former teammate) regarding Tyler Sash s death (former Iowa and Giants football player)

34 Transferable Skills Athletes may not recognize or know how to apply the skills they have learned through their sport experience Some skills may be less developed because of their sport experience Athletic culture tends to manage an issue before it can have consequences, often negating the learning opportunity

35 Transferable Skills Important to teach them HOW to transfer skills Understand the skills Belief the skills are valuable How the skills were developed in sport Normalize the anxiety Athlete identity Social support

36 How to Help Recognize the privilege we have to know student-athletes as people and demonstrate your commitment to their development as a person despite their athletic performance Help them develop Plan B, while respecting Plan A Some coaches/admin may not make time for programming, which sends the message that it s not important Need head coaches reinforcement, not just tolerance

37 How to Help Preventative and post transitions interventions Some athletes may be ready at different time Focused programming/career preparation Entire athletic careers, not just initial orientation Be creative with timing

38 How to Help Post-transition Ask about adjustment during degree completion meetings for athletes who leave early Athlete alumni events Increase social support Networking Access to resources Exit interviews Consider timing and who is completing the interview

39 Unique Considerations Injuries/Medical DQ s Hardest transition is likely for those who suffer a career ending injury Stay engaged with them even if they aren t continuing to be monitored Consider ways to keep athletes involved with the team, while respecting those who do not want to be around the sport Design programming to target at-risk populations Mentor relationships may be particularly helpful for African-American males

40 What Does it Really Look Like? Renee: a wish to retire Freshman student-athlete Under parents watchful eye since age 6 Taste of freedom Exposure to wider array of life options Why should I sacrifice so much for something that I care about so little? Jamal: to quit vs. to disappoint High expectations The next best thing Family certain of his financial security It s tougher than he thought, and he s a small fish now in a much bigger pond Easier to quit than to try and endure disappointment of self and others

41 Carmen Tebbe Priebe, Ph.D

42 References Baille, P. H. F., & Danish, S. J. (1992). Understanding the career transition of athletes. The Sport Psychologist, 6, Cosh, S., & Tully, P. J. (2014). "All I have to do is pass": A discursive analysis of student athletes' talk about prioritizing sport to the detriment of education to overcome stressors encountered in combining elite sport and tertiary education. Psychology of Sport & Exercise, 15(2), Kelly, D. D., & Dixon, M. A. (2014). Successfully navigating life transitions among African American male student-athletes: A review and examination of constellation mentoring as a promising strategy. Journal of Sport Management, 28(5), Lavallee, D. (2005). The effect of a life development intervention on sports career transition adjustment. Sport Psychologist, 19(2), 193. Ogilvie, B. C., & Taylor, J. (1993). Career termination issues among elite athletes. In R. N. Singer, M. Murphey, & L. K. Tennant (Eds.), Handbook of research on sport psychology (pp ). New York: Macmillan. Park, S., & Lavallee, D. (2012). Exploring the retirement from sport decision-making process based on the transtheoretical model. Psychology of Sport & Exercise, 13(4), Park, S., & Lavallee, D. (2015). Athletes entourages; Career transition out of sport; Cross-cultural comparison; Readiness for retirement. Sport & Exercise Psychology Review, 11, 3-20.

43 References Pearson, R., & Petitpas, A. (1990). Transitions of athletes: Pitfalls and prevention. Journal of Counseling and Development, 69, Schlossberg, N. (1981). A model for analyzing human adaption to transition. Counseling Psychologist, 9, Stambulova, N. B. (1994). Developmental sports career investigation in Russia: A post perestroika analysis. Sport Psychologist, 8, Stambulova, N., Alfermann D., Statler, T., & Cote, J. (2009). ISSP position stand: Career development and transitions of athletes. International Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 7(4), Swain, D. A. (1991). Withdrawal from sport and Schlossberg s model of transitions. Sociology of Sport Journal, 8, Taylor, J., & Ogilvie, B.C. (2005). Career transition among elite athletes: Is there life after sports? In J. Williams (Ed.), Applied sport psychology: Personal growth to peak performance (4th ed.) (pp ). Mountain View, CA: Mayfield. Wylleman, P., Alfermann, D., & Lavallee, D. (2004). Career transitions in sport. Psychology of Sport & Exercise, 5(1), 3-5.

44 Student-Athlete Transition After Sport Q & A

45 Thank You! Carmen Tebbe Priebe, Ph.D DeAnne D. Brooks, Ed.D., CSCS, C-EP

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