6 Summary of Session 6

Within this session you have focused on the transitional period around parenthood and have looked at a number of factors that can influence this transition. You have also looked at how athletes are able to manage this and successfully navigate the two roles to combine family life with elite sport.

The key learning points from this sixth session are:

• Parenthood can place a new set of demands on an athlete which requires a period of adaptation.
• There are several physical challenges for female athletes who decide to have children during their sport career.
• It is possible to manage multiple identities, and the new role as parent can in turn have positive implications for the athlete and their family.

In the next session, you move on to explore what is potentially the most problematic transition and one which is experienced by all athletes, that is retirement from sport.

You should now go to Session 7 [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] .