Transcript
CANDICE LINGAM-WILLGOSS:
The athletic career transition model illustrates how if an athlete is able to balance the demands of the transition they are facing with the resources that they have they are likely to cope effectively with the experience. If you look at arrow A, the model identifies a point at which interventions can be implemented in order to provide additional resources. This can enable the athlete to cope with the new demands placed upon them.
For example, an athlete who has joined a new club may find the experience overwhelming with so much to learn. However, they could be given a mentor in the form of a more experienced team member who is able to support them and answer questions that they may have. On a relatively simple intervention, it is likely to give the player a resource which will ease their transition into their new club.
However, there will be athletes who do not have the resources to hand, meaning they will be unable to cope with the transition they are experiencing. For example, take the under 16 netball player who has picked up an ankle injury, she's never been injured before and is feeling annoyed, upset, and lonely. Her main friendship group was based at her netball club, and she isn't able to see them as she isn't able to train. An athlete in this situation is unlikely to have resources to draw on and as such won't cope so well with her injury, which can result in an ineffective transition.
What the model does suggest though, is that if you look at arrow B, there is another opportunity for an intervention to be implemented. For example, her coach could ask her to come to help coach training or come to matches and make notes on the game, this would allow the player to feel involved and that she was helping her team. Again, a small intervention such as this could result in a change in the athlete's emotions and the transition will become more positive.
Finally, there are those who don't have resources and are either unable to implement any coping interventions or try an intervention and it doesn't work. These are the athletes who can find themselves having a very poor transitional experience. The main learning to take from this model is that it is important for athletes to build up their resources so they are able to cope with the transitions they will face in their career. As you move through the course, you will start to explore some of these strategies a little more.