Thesis (PhD (Sport Science))—University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / 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.

A formação de um atleta de alto rendimento exige anos de trabalho. O caminho para o sucesso é longo e os atletas dedicam parte de suas vidas integralmente ao esporte. Esse é um dos motivos do encerramento da carreira esportiva ser permeado de incertezas e com sentimentos positivos e negativos aflorados. Na Ginástica Artística Feminina (GAF) esse contexto pode ser acentuado, pois a formação esportiva leva em média 10 anos. E, para chegar ao ápice inicia-se o treinamento especializado cedo e a carreira esportiva costuma terminar na adolescência. Compreender esse processo é essencial para repensar fatores que contribuiriam no desenvolvimento das ginastas. Assim, este estudo analisou a carreira esportiva de 7 Ex-ginastas brasileiras, que encerraram a trajetória atlética antes dos 20 anos de idade, com intuito de identificar potencias fatores que contribuíram para sua aposentadoria. Para obtenção dos dados realizamos entrevistas semiestruturadas. E, para o tratamento dos dados recorremos à técnica de Análise de Conteúdo (BARDIN, 2010). Identificamos três temas e suas respectivas categorias que representam etapas importantes da carreira esportiva das ginastas: Motivação para o início da prática de Ginástica Artística (GA); Motivação para permanência na GAF; Encerramento da carreira esportiva. Na iniciação esportiva das atletas encontramos indícios tanto da motivação intrínseca, quanto da motivação extrínseca. Entretanto, identificamos que as ginastas apresentaram maior influência extrínseca, principalmente, advinda dos pais. Na ascensão ao alto rendimento da GAF a influência extrínseca do treinador e da família e a meta de participar dos Jogos Olímpicos (JO) foram fatores preponderantes para permanência na modalidade. Por outro lado, não desconsideramos a importância dos fatores intrínsecos, como o \"amor\" pela modalidade, que é fundamental para as ginastas se manterem engajadas na GAF. Analisamos o comportamento da motivação ao longo da carreira das ginastas e encontramos as implicações desse processo no encerramento da trajetória atlética. Identificamos que não há aspectos isolados que determinam a aposentadoria das ginastas, mas sim a interação de fatores. Ainda, analisamos as adaptações e dificuldades nesse momento de transição e evidenciamos a falta de planejamento no encerramento da carreira esportiva. Nossos resultados evidenciam que não há momento ideal para o encerramento da carreira esportiva na GAF, pois as circunstâncias definem esse momento. Mas, as ginastas devem ser orientadas que a carreira esportiva é efêmera e que qualquer fato pode por fim inesperado na vida esportiva. Ressaltamos que as atletas devem ser preparadas e estarem prontas para esse momento. / The high performance athlete\'s development requires intense work. The road to success is long and athletes integrally dedicate part of their lives to the sport. That is why sport retirement can be traumatic in some cases. This frame can be acute in Women\'s Artistic Gymnastics (WAG), because athlete\'s development takes in average 10 years, the specialized training starts early to reach the top and the sport career usually end in adolescence. Understanding this process is essential to rethink the athlete\'s development. Therefore, this study analyzed 7 Brazilians ex-gymnasts\' sport career, who retired from WAG before 20 years old, and it identified factors that contributed to their retirement. We apply a semi-structured interview to collect the data and the technique of \"Content Analysis\" (BARDIN, 2010) to treat it. We identified three themes and their respective categories that represent important stages of gymnasts\' sport career: motivation for the beginning in Artistic Gymnastics\' (AG) practice; Motivation to remain in WAG; Retirement in WAG. We find intrinsic and extrinsic motivation evidences in athletic initiation. However, we identified more extrinsic influence, mainly by the parents. In the rise of high performance WAG the extrinsic influence by the coaches and the family and the goal to participate of the Olympic Games (OG) were preponderant factors. On the other hand, intrinsic factors, such as \"love\" for WAG, are fundamental to the gymnasts\' engagement in the sport. We analyzed the motivation\'s behavior throughout the gymnasts\' career and we found this process implication in sport career\'s end. We found out that there is no isolated aspect in the gymnasts\' retirement, but the interaction of factors. Furthermore, we analyzed the adaptations and the difficulties in this transition moment and we observed that the lack of planning in the gymnasts\' sport career\'s end. Our results show that there is no perfect moment for the retirement in WAG, because the circumstances define this moment. However, gymnasts should be advised that the sports career is not eternal and that any fact can unexpectedly end the sport life. More importantly, they must be prepared and ready for this moment.

A formação de um atleta de alto rendimento exige anos de trabalho. O caminho para o sucesso é longo e os atletas dedicam parte de suas vidas integralmente ao esporte. Esse é um dos motivos do encerramento da carreira esportiva ser permeado de incertezas e com sentimentos positivos e negativos aflorados. Na Ginástica Artística Feminina (GAF) esse contexto pode ser acentuado, pois a formação esportiva leva em média 10 anos. E, para chegar ao ápice inicia-se o treinamento especializado cedo e a carreira esportiva costuma terminar na adolescência. Compreender esse processo é essencial para repensar fatores que contribuiriam no desenvolvimento das ginastas. Assim, este estudo analisou a carreira esportiva de 7 Ex-ginastas brasileiras, que encerraram a trajetória atlética antes dos 20 anos de idade, com intuito de identificar potencias fatores que contribuíram para sua aposentadoria. Para obtenção dos dados realizamos entrevistas semiestruturadas. E, para o tratamento dos dados recorremos à técnica de Análise de Conteúdo (BARDIN, 2010). Identificamos três temas e suas respectivas categorias que representam etapas importantes da carreira esportiva das ginastas: Motivação para o início da prática de Ginástica Artística (GA); Motivação para permanência na GAF; Encerramento da carreira esportiva. Na iniciação esportiva das atletas encontramos indícios tanto da motivação intrínseca, quanto da motivação extrínseca. Entretanto, identificamos que as ginastas apresentaram maior influência extrínseca, principalmente, advinda dos pais. Na ascensão ao alto rendimento da GAF a influência extrínseca do treinador e da família e a meta de participar dos Jogos Olímpicos (JO) foram fatores preponderantes para permanência na modalidade. Por outro lado, não desconsideramos a importância dos fatores intrínsecos, como o \"amor\" pela modalidade, que é fundamental para as ginastas se manterem engajadas na GAF. Analisamos o comportamento da motivação ao longo da carreira das ginastas e encontramos as implicações desse processo no encerramento da trajetória atlética. Identificamos que não há aspectos isolados que determinam a aposentadoria das ginastas, mas sim a interação de fatores. Ainda, analisamos as adaptações e dificuldades nesse momento de transição e evidenciamos a falta de planejamento no encerramento da carreira esportiva. Nossos resultados evidenciam que não há momento ideal para o encerramento da carreira esportiva na GAF, pois as circunstâncias definem esse momento. Mas, as ginastas devem ser orientadas que a carreira esportiva é efêmera e que qualquer fato pode por fim inesperado na vida esportiva. Ressaltamos que as atletas devem ser preparadas e estarem prontas para esse momento. / The high performance athlete\'s development requires intense work. The road to success is long and athletes integrally dedicate part of their lives to the sport. That is why sport retirement can be traumatic in some cases. This frame can be acute in Women\'s Artistic Gymnastics (WAG), because athlete\'s development takes in average 10 years, the specialized training starts early to reach the top and the sport career usually end in adolescence. Understanding this process is essential to rethink the athlete\'s development. Therefore, this study analyzed 7 Brazilians ex-gymnasts\' sport career, who retired from WAG before 20 years old, and it identified factors that contributed to their retirement. We apply a semi-structured interview to collect the data and the technique of \"Content Analysis\" (BARDIN, 2010) to treat it. We identified three themes and their respective categories that represent important stages of gymnasts\' sport career: motivation for the beginning in Artistic Gymnastics\' (AG) practice; Motivation to remain in WAG; Retirement in WAG. We find intrinsic and extrinsic motivation evidences in athletic initiation. However, we identified more extrinsic influence, mainly by the parents. In the rise of high performance WAG the extrinsic influence by the coaches and the family and the goal to participate of the Olympic Games (OG) were preponderant factors. On the other hand, intrinsic factors, such as \"love\" for WAG, are fundamental to the gymnasts\' engagement in the sport. We analyzed the motivation\'s behavior throughout the gymnasts\' career and we found this process implication in sport career\'s end. We found out that there is no isolated aspect in the gymnasts\' retirement, but the interaction of factors. Furthermore, we analyzed the adaptations and the difficulties in this transition moment and we observed that the lack of planning in the gymnasts\' sport career\'s end. Our results show that there is no perfect moment for the retirement in WAG, because the circumstances define this moment. However, gymnasts should be advised that the sports career is not eternal and that any fact can unexpectedly end the sport life. More importantly, they must be prepared and ready for this moment.

No description available.

This thesis aimed to extend knowledge of athletes’ career transitions through examining athletes’ retirement decision-making process and influence of cultural diversity and organisational culture on the process of career transition. The purpose of Study 1 was to identify the current status of knowledge in the study area through providing a systematic review of the athlete career transition studies. The findings provided up to date knowledge in the study area and suggested potential future research directions. Study 2 aimed to understand Korean tennis players’ career transition out of sport experiences via longitudinal qualitative research. The results indicated that athletes perceived making the retirement decision was difficult process for them and revealed that participants’ experiences were influenced by cultural aspects and sport contexts of Korea. Study 3 focused on exploring the athletes’ retirement decision-making process among Korean tennis players. Results showed that athletes’ leaving from sport decision-making is a complex and multidimensional process, and the transtheoretical model was helpful in explaining athletes’ retirement from sport decision-making. The objective of Study 4 was to explore the processes involved in the development of an athletes’ career transition programme. Results revealed that the organisation might have influence on athletes’ retirement decision and the quality of career transition. Overall, the findings from the current thesis provide advanced useful knowledge on the athlete career transition process, and such knowledge may assist attempts to enhance athletes’ well-being and welfare for during and post-sport life.