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The objectives in the study were to examine: (1) factors that contributes to successful athletic performance across career stages; (2) factors that contributes to poor athletic performance across career stages. The theoretical frameworks included: model of psychological preparation for peak performance (Hardy, Jones, & Gould, 1996); the developmental model on transitions faced by athletes (Wylleman & Lavallee, 2004). Ten participants took part of the study (N=10) and consisted of five individual sport athletes and five team sport athletes from local to international competitive level. Semi-structured interviews were conducted derived from the semi-structured interview guide specially created for this study, which was based on the theoretical frameworks. The results are presented in three parts, and 8 category profiles describing the factors contributing to successful and poor athletic performance on the initiation-, development-, mastery- and maintenance stage. The results showed a list of factors contributing to both successful and poor athletic performance across different career stages for example, social support, family, coach, teammates, athletic ability, athletic experience and, athletic achievements. The results also showed that the factors seems to play a different role depending on the different athletic career stage for instance, supportive significant others and sporting environment turned out to be a more important contributing factor to athletes successful athletic performance on the initiation stage, where athletic ability turned out to be a more important contributing factor to athletes successful athletic performance on the mastery stage. The results are discussed based on the theoretical frameworks and previous research. Suggestions on future research and implications are given. / Syftena med föreliggande studie var att undersöka: (1) faktorer som bidrar till framgångsrika idrottsprestationer genom idrottskarriären, (2) faktorer som bidrar till dåliga idrottsprestationer genom idrottskarriären. De teoretiska ramverk som ingår i studien är: model of psychological preparation for peak performance (Hardy, Jones, & Gould, 1996); the developmental model on transitions faced by athletes (Wylleman & Lavallee, 2004). Tio deltagare deltog i studien (N=10) och bestod av fem individuella idrottare och fem lag idrottare från lokal till internationell tävlingsnivå. Semi-strukturerade intervjuer genomfördes utifrån en framtagen intervjuguide speciellt skapad för denna studie, som byggde på teoretiska ramverk. Resultaten presenteras i tre delar, och 8 kategori profiler beskriver de faktorer som bidrar till framgångsrika och dåliga idrottsprestationer i inledningsstadiet-, specialiseringsstadiet-, toppstadiet- och underhållsstadiet. Resultaten visade att faktorer som bidrar till både framgångsrik och dåliga idrottsprestationer förekom under olika skeden av idrottskarriären som, t.ex. socialt stöd, familj, tränare, lagkamrater, idrottslig förmåga, idrottsliga erfarenheter och idrottsprestationer. Resultaten visade också att de olika faktorerna verkade spela olika betydelse beroende på det specifika karriärsteget inom idrotten. Ett exempel är stödjande närstående och idrottsmiljö som visade sig ha störst betydelse för bidragandet av framgångsrika idrottsprestationer i inledningsfasen. Idrottslig förmåga visade sig ha störst betydelse för bidragandet av framgångsrika idrottsprestationer i toppfasen av idrottskarriären. Resultaten diskuteras utifrån teoretiska ramverk och tidigare forskning. Förslag på framtida forskning samt implikationer ges.

The study’s purpose was to explore a team’s perception of transition within the clubexperienced by both players and coaches, investigate influences of the clubs transition onbasic needs satisfaction as perceived by players as well as coaches and lastly conduct a shortterm intervention aimed at facilitating players’ adaptation to the clubs transition. The study isbased on three theories: the Athletic Career Transitional Model, Self Determination theoryand the holistic ecological approach. The study’s participants all represented a club in thesouth of Sweden and consisted of a total of 23 players at the age of 15-17 (M= 15,96, SD=0,64), the club manager, coaches and parents. The study was a mixed method interventionstudy (questionnaire, semi-structured interviews and an intervention consisting of educationalsessions and an implementation phase).The study revealed that the club is still facilitating with remnants of its transition despiteover-looking it. The study found the targeted club to predominantly demand elite investmentfrom players, experience barriers regarding individual differences and communication withinthe club and resources in the form of popular, well-educated coaches. The clubs transition wasfound to influence all basic needs in some way, the change in management brought positivevalues with autonomy supportive measures and coaches. Increased elite investment anddeficient communication within the club also influenced basic needs. Results from theintervention are presented as well as implications with a basis in the theories used. / Studiens syfte var att undersöka ett lags uppfattning om hur klubbens övergång upplevs avbåde spelare och tränare, undersöka påverkan av klubbövergången på grundläggandepsykologiska behov som upplevs av spelare samt tränare och slutligen göra en kortsiktigintervention i syfte att underlätta spelares anpassning till klubbövergången. Studien baseras påtre teorier: the Athletic Career Transitional Model, Självbestämmande-teorin och detholistiska ekologiska synsättet. Studiens deltagare representerade en klubb i södra Sverige ochbestod av totalt 23 spelare åldern 15-17 (M = 15,96, SD = 0,64), klubbens manager, tränareoch föräldrar. Studien var en mixed method interventionsstudie (enkät, semi-struktureradeintervjuer och en intervention bestående av utbildningstillfällen samt en implementeringsfas).Resultatet visade att klubben fortfarande handskas med resterna av sin övergång trots att deförbiser det. Studien fann att klubben främst kräver elitsatsning från spelare, erfar hinder när detgäller individuella skillnader samt kommunikation inom klubben och resurser i form av omtyckta,välutbildade tränare. Dessutom fanns klubbövergången påverka alla grundläggande behov på någotsätt, förändringen i ledningen förde positiva värderingar med sig med autonomistödjande åtgärderoch tränare. Ökad elitsatsning påverkar och bristfällig kommunikation inom klubben påverkadeockså grundläggande behov. Resultat från interventionen samt implikationer med en grund i deteorier som används presenteras slutligen.

Syftet med studien var att undersöka studentidrottares upplevelse av att kombinera studier påakademisk nivå med elitidrott på ett Riksidrottsuniversitet. Specifikt undersöktesstudentidrottare som inte hade någon koppling till en elitmiljö, det vill säga studentidrottaresom elitsatsade men vars idrottsförbund inte hade ett samverkansavtal med lärosätet. I studiendeltog 12 intervjupersoner, fördelat på sex kvinnor och sex män i åldrarna 19–30 (M=22.83,S=2.88). Studien använde en semistrukturerad intervjuguide baserad på den Holistiskakarriärutvecklingsmodellen (Wylleman, 2019) och Karriärövergångsmodellen (Stambulova,2003). Resultatet klassificerades in i fyra kategorier; studentidrottares upplevda krav,barriärer, resurser och copingstrategier. Resultatet påvisade att det största kravet somdeltagarna upplevde var att de måste försörja sig ekonomiskt i form av studielån eller attarbeta parallellt med kombinationen, detta kunde medföra en stor stress för deltagarna. Denfrämsta barriären deltagarna upplevde var bristande stöd från lärosätet samt att de upplevdeatt studierna och idrotten blev lidande då de inte kunde prestera lika framgångsrikt i båda,vilket kunde medföra en känsla av otillräcklighet. Vidare upplevde deltagarna att socialstöttning från tränare, familj och vänner var den främsta resursen för att underlätta ikombinationen. Planering var studentidrottarnas mest använda copingstrategi för att hanterakraven i en dubbel karriär. / The purpose of the study was to investigate student athlete's experiences of studying at aNational Sport University in Sweden. Specifically, student athletes who had no connection toan elite environment were investigated, that is, student athletes who are elite athletes butwhose sports associations did not have a collaboration agreement with the university. Thestudy included 12 interviewees, divided into six women and six men aged 19–30 (M = 22.83,S = 2.88). The study used a semi-structured interview guide based on The Holistic AthleticCareer Model (Wylleman, 2019) and The Athletic Career Transition Model (Stambulova,2003). The result was classified into four main categories; student athlete's perceiveddemands, barriers, resources and coping strategies. The result showed that the biggestdemand that the participants experienced was that they had to support themselves financiallyin terms of student loans or working in parallel with the combination, this could cause a greatdeal of stress for the participants. The main barrier the participants experienced was a lack ofsupport from the university and that they felt that the studies and the sport were suffering asthey could not perform equally successfully in both, which could cause a feeling ofinadequacy. Furthermore, the participants felt that social support from coaches, family andfriends was the primary resource for facilitating the combination. Planning was the studentathletes' most used coping strategy to handle the demands of a dual career.

The aim of this study is to describe the experience of social support among female elite athletes who combine handball with higher education, with the underlying purpose to describe these persons’ experience of the functions of the support. These functions are materialistic, informative and emotional. There are ten women in the ages 22 to 24 (M=23.1, S=0,83) participating in the study. The study uses a semi-structured interview, based on two articles that studied social support (Knight et al., 2018; Schaefer et al., 1981). The result was sorted in three categories: emotional support, materialistic support and informative support. The result showed that women experienced emotional support, especially affinity, in the dual career (DC). Materialistic support was experienced in terms of support thru adjustment from coach and university. However, materialistic support was also identified lacking. Lastly, informative support, in shape of information and guidance in dual career, was experienced missing. / Syftet med studien är att beskriva upplevelsen av socialt stöd hos kvinnliga elithandbollsspelare som kombinerar elitidrott med högre utbildning, med det underliggande syftet att beskriva dessa personers upplevelser av stödets funktioner, så som materiellt, informativt och känslomässigt. I studien deltog tio kvinnor i åldrarna 22-24 år (M=23,1, S=0,83). Studien använde en semistrukturerad intervju, som var baserad på två artiklar där socialt stöd studerats (Knight et al., 2018; Schaefer et al., 1981). Resultatet sorterades i tre kategorier; känslomässigt stöd, materiellt stöd och informativt stöd. Resultatet påvisar att kvinnorna upplevde känslomässigt stöd i dubbla karriären (DK), där framför allt samhörighet med andra upplevde stötta kvinnorna. Kvinnorna upplevde också materiellt stöd, i form av anpassningar från både tränare och universitet/högskolepersonal. Resultatet visar även att flera kvinnor upplevde att de saknade denna typ av materiellt stöd i deras DK. Till sist identifierades kvinnorna uppleva att de saknade även informativt stöd i form av vägledning och information i DK.

<p>The purpose of this study was to examine a relationship between perceived health and sport participation with objectives as follows: (a) to examine how athletes perceive their health and understand its importance for sport and life; (b) to examine what strategies athletes use to enhance their health and under what conditions they put their health at risk in sport; (c) to analyse social influences on athletes related to sport and health and (d) to analyse a position of health among athletes’ perceived “benefits” and “costs” of athletic career in its relation to satisfaction with sport participation. The perceived health and sport participation working model (Stambulova, Johnson, Lindwall & Hinic, 2004) was used as the theoretical framework for this study. Thirty six competitive athletes – representatives of different sports - were interviewed using a structured interview guide with both qualitative and quantitative questions. Inductive and deductive analyses were used to treat the qualitative data and to develop category profiles. SPSS was used to treat the quantitative data (descriptive statistics). The results show that the athletes’ attitude to their health is double sided. A majority of the athletes value health as important for life but at the same time 69% of them put their health at risk in their athletic career (e.g, practicing or competing when ill or injured). A majority of the athletes also use self enhancing strategies (e.g., injury and overtraining prevention), but are at the same time draining their health related resources. Health was the second highest perceived benefit of sport participation, but it was also the second highest perceived cost. Social influences are also contradictive as the athletes significant others express positive opinions about the link between sport and health, but they also often “push” athletes to put their health under risk in sport. The results are discussed in relation to the corresponding literature and the perceived health and sport participation working model.</p>

The purpose of this study was to examine a relationship between perceived health and sport participation with objectives as follows: (a) to examine how athletes perceive their health and understand its importance for sport and life; (b) to examine what strategies athletes use to enhance their health and under what conditions they put their health at risk in sport; (c) to analyse social influences on athletes related to sport and health and (d) to analyse a position of health among athletes’ perceived “benefits” and “costs” of athletic career in its relation to satisfaction with sport participation. The perceived health and sport participation working model (Stambulova, Johnson, Lindwall & Hinic, 2004) was used as the theoretical framework for this study. Thirty six competitive athletes – representatives of different sports - were interviewed using a structured interview guide with both qualitative and quantitative questions. Inductive and deductive analyses were used to treat the qualitative data and to develop category profiles. SPSS was used to treat the quantitative data (descriptive statistics). The results show that the athletes’ attitude to their health is double sided. A majority of the athletes value health as important for life but at the same time 69% of them put their health at risk in their athletic career (e.g, practicing or competing when ill or injured). A majority of the athletes also use self enhancing strategies (e.g., injury and overtraining prevention), but are at the same time draining their health related resources. Health was the second highest perceived benefit of sport participation, but it was also the second highest perceived cost. Social influences are also contradictive as the athletes significant others express positive opinions about the link between sport and health, but they also often “push” athletes to put their health under risk in sport. The results are discussed in relation to the corresponding literature and the perceived health and sport participation working model.

The aim of this study was to examine Icelandic elite athletes’ experiences in regard to the Olympic Games (OG)-2012. More specifically the focus was on the OG as a career transition process covering several phases in the Olympic cycle, having the Games as its culmination and followed by a career change. The athletic career transition model, the holistic lifespan perspective and temporal structure of the Olympic cycle guided retrospective interviews with six Icelandic athletes who (some years ago) were candidates to take part in the OG-2012. Among the six participants three were successful in the OG-2012, one was less successful and two participants prepared but were not qualified for the OG. Holistic-content and categorical-content analyses resulted in: (a) six core narratives describing and interpreting each athlete’s individual pathway through preliminary/basic preparation, selection process, Olympic season, the Games, and post-Games periods, and (b) sixteen themes following athletes’ major foci in each transition phase (e.g., “gaining international experience” and “getting financial support” in the preliminary/basic preparation, etc.) and also the transition resources perceived by athletes as necessary during the whole Olympic cycle (“prioritizing sports while balancing sport with work/school”, “organizational support” and “family support”).  Results are discussed in relation to the theoretical frameworks, previous research, and Icelandic context.

This qualitative study examined the athletic retirement processes of Finnish female elite distance runners retrospectively, and was loosely based on the theoretical-conceptual background of sport career transition models (Stambulova, 2003; Taylor & Ogilvie, 1994). The participants were Finnish female distance runners who have competed at the national level, or at the international level as members of the Finnish national track and field team. In Finland, the athletic retirement process has not been studied extensively, especially among distance runners. A total of nine former female runners who had retired 10 years prior and no less than one year ago participated in the study. The qualitative data were collected by conducting semi-structured interviews in Finland, using an interview guide constructed by Kadlcik and Flemr (2008) as a model. Seven of the interviews were performed face-to-face, one via Skype, and one via telephone. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and a total of seven themes with 25 subthemes emerged from the data. The themes that emerged included: (1) avenues to become a distance runner, (2) meaning of running, (3) pre-retirement conditions, (4) retirement, (5) factors affecting quality of retirement, (6) major effects of retirement, and (7) current life. Several reasons for sport career termination were identified, loss of motivation being the most prevalent. Most athletes did not have a plan for how to deal with retirement, although studying and other interests played an important role when methods of adaptation were discussed. As in previous studies conducted in other countries, the former Finnish athletes experienced significant changes in many aspects of their lives, including social, psychological and health. Overall, the participants reported a challenging, but not overwhelming athletic career retirement process, with two out of nine participants stating that the transition was somewhat difficult. Recommendations for researchers and practitioners are also discussed. / Kinesiology

This study was a continuation of previous research by Stambulova et al., (manuscript submitted; Lundell-Olsson &amp; Pehrson, 2014), with the purpose to validate and update the empirical model ”Phases in the Junior-to-Senior Transition in Swedish Ice Hockey Players”. The objectives of the study were to (1) to collect opinions and reflections of expert senior players and coaches about the empirical model as a whole and about content of each JST phase and (2) to update the empirical model based on the participants’ feedback. Fifteen Swedish professional ice hockey players and coaches were recruited for focus groups and interviews and data were collected regarding their opinions of the empirical model. The results supported (a) the sequence of phases, (b) the titles and duration of the model, and (c) the psychological content in terms of perceived demands, resources, barriers, coping strategies, and outcomes, was updated. Five themes’ names were changed and sixteen new themes were added. Based on the empirical models confirmation and suggested updates, the validated model ”Phases in the Junior-to-Senior Transition in Swedish Ice Hockey Players” was created. The results of the study are discussed in relation to theoretical frameworks, previous research, methodology, future research, and applications. / Denna studie var en fortsättning på tidigare studie av Stambulova et al., (manuskript inskickat; Lundell-Olsson &amp; Pehrson, 2014) med syfte att validera och uppdatera den empiriska modellen ”Faser i övergången från junior till senior hos Svenska ishockeyspelare”. Målet med studien var (1) att samla in åsikter och reflektioner från erfarna seniorspelare och tränare kring den empiriska modellen som helhet och varje fast i övergången från junior till senior, samt att (2) uppdatera den empiriska modellen grundat på deltagarnas feedback. För att uppnå detta så rekryterades femton professionella svenska ishockeyspelare och tränare som deltog i fokusgrupper och intervjuer och data samlades in kring deras åsikter om den empiriska modellen. Resultaten stödde (a) sekvensen av faser, (b) dess titlar och varaktighet och (c) det psykologiska innehållet i form av krav, barriärer, resurser, copingstrategier och utfall. Fem temans namn ändrades och sexton ny tillkom. Baserat på resultaten ansågs den empiriska modellen validerad och uppdaterade i en validerad modell ”Faser i övergången från junior till senior hos Svenska ishockeyspelare”. Resultaten diskuteras vidare i relation till teoretiska ramverk, tidigare forskning, metodologi, framtida forskning, och tillämpbarhet.