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  • Subjects
  • Health, Sports & Psychology
  • Free courses
  • The athlete’s journey: transitions through sport
  • Session 7: The final athletic chapter...
  • 6 This session’s quiz

Course content

  • Session 7: The final athletic chapter – retirement from sport
  • Introduction and guidance
    • What is a badged course?
    • How to get a badge
  • Acknowledgements
  • Session 1
  • Introduction
  • 1 What are transitions?
  • 2 Your experiences of transitions in sport
  • 3 The athletic career transition model
  • 4 What does the research say about transitions?
  • 5 This session’s quiz
  • 6 Summary of Session 1
  • References
  • Acknowledgements
  • Session 1 practice quiz
  • Session 2
  • Introduction
  • 1 What factors influence transitions?
  • 2 Athletic identity: who am I?
    • 2.1 How athletic identity affects responses to transitions
  • 3 Level of participation
  • 4 Is ‘type of sport’ relevant?
  • 5 Preparation and support
  • 6 Reflecting on your own experience of transitions
  • 7 This session’s quiz
  • 8 Summary of Session 2
  • References
  • Acknowledgements
  • Session 2 practice quiz
  • Session 3
  • Introduction
  • 1 The need for a life outside sport
  • 2 Performance lifestyle
  • 3 The five-step career planning strategy
  • 4 Other strategies: coping with the unexpected
  • 5 This session’s quiz
  • 6 Summary of Session 3
  • References
  • Acknowledgements
  • Session 3 practice quiz
  • Session 4
  • Introduction
  • 1 What are normative transitions?
  • 2 Lifespan perspective
  • 3 Upward and downward transitions
  • 4 Reflecting on normative transitions
  • 5 This session’s quiz
  • 6 Summary of Session 4
  • References
  • Acknowledgements
  • Session 4 compulsory badge quiz
  • Session 5
  • Introduction
  • 1 What are non-normative transitions?
  • 2 Spotlight: sport injury
    • 2.1 Return to sport
    • 2.2 Career-ending injuries
  • 3 Reflecting on non-normative transitions
  • 4 This session’s quiz
  • 5 Summary of Session 5
  • References
  • Acknowledgements
  • Session 5 practice quiz
  • Session 6
  • Introduction
  • 1 Combining parenthood and elite sport
  • 2 The athletic mother
  • 3 The challenges of being a sporting parent
  • 4 Positive impacts: is parenthood the key to success?
  • 5 This session’s quiz
  • 6 Summary of Session 6
  • References
  • Acknowledgements
  • Session 6 practice quiz
  • Session 7
  • Introduction
  • 1 The reality of retirement
  • 2 Why do athletes retire?
  • 3 The impact of retirement – positive or negative?
  • 4 Coming out the other side: coping with retirement
  • 5 But I can’t let go!
  • Current section:
    6 This session’s quiz
  • 7 Summary of Session 7
  • References
  • Acknowledgements
  • Session 7 practice quiz
  • Session 8
  • Introduction
  • 1 Making a successful transition
  • 2 Case study 1: Lizzy Yarnold
  • 3 Case study 2: Kristian Thomas
  • 4 Case study 3: Josh Lukwata
  • 5 Case study 4: Olympic athlete panel
  • 6 Bringing it all together
  • 7 This session’s quiz
  • 8 Summary of Session 8
  • Where next?
  • Tell us what you think
  • References
  • Acknowledgements
  • Session 8 compulsory badge quiz

About this free course

About this free course

24 hours study

Level 2: Intermediate

Full course description

Author

Author

  • picture of Candice Lingam-Willgoss

    Candice Lingam-Willgoss

    (Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies)

    Candice is a Senior Lecturer in Sport and Fitness and Associate Dean (Tuition) within WELS

    Candice joined the Sport and Fitness team in 2013 having worked as an Associate Lecturer for the Open University since 2010. Prior to working for ...

    View author profile
  • picture of Caroline Heaney

    Caroline Heaney

    (School of Childhood, Youth and Sport)

    Dr Caroline Heaney is a Senior Lecturer in Sport and Fitness at the Open University. She has worked as a full-time academic at the university since September 2006. Prior to that she worked as a lecturer in sport and exercise ...

    View author profile

Become an OU student

Become an OU student

  • BSc (Honours) Sport, Fitness and Coaching
    BSc (Honours) Sport, Fitness and Coaching
  • BA/BSc (Honours) Open degree
    BA/BSc (Honours) Open degree
  • Applying sport and exercise sciences to coaching
    Applying sport and exercise sciences to coaching

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The athlete’s journey: transitions through sport
The athlete’s journey: transitions through sport

Start this free course now. Just create an account and sign in. Enrol and complete the course for a free statement of participation or digital badge if available.

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  • Session1
  • Session2
  • Session3
  • Session4
  • Session5
  • Session6
  • Session7
  • Session8

6 This session’s quiz

Now that you’ve completed Session 7, you can take a short quiz to help you to reflect on what you’ve learned.

Open the quiz in a new tab or window by holding down Ctrl (or Cmd on a Mac) when you click on the link. Return here when you have finished.

Session 7 quiz.

PreviousPrevious 5 But I can’t let go!
Next 7 Summary of Session 7Next
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