Session 3: Out of the blocks – preparing athletes for career transitions
Introduction
In Session 2 you explored the challenges of career transitions in sport and the factors that can influence an athlete’s transition experiences. In this session you will examine how best to prepare athletes to cope with these experiences and progress through career transitions as smoothly as possible. In doing this you will investigate the experiences of athletes who have engaged with programmes designed to help them develop these skills and reflect on what strategies are most effective to help athletes. You will also reflect on your own sporting career (or that of an athlete you support) and consider how to plan for any career transitions that might be experienced in the future.
By the end of this session you should be able to:
- recognise the need for athletes to develop the skills to prepare for and cope with career transitions
- understand how best to prepare athletes for a range of different career transitions
- identify the role that performance lifestyle planning can play in supporting the athlete.