Wellness in transitions out of college sports participation: Experiences of former NCAA division I student-athletes

ABSTRACT

Research has provided substantial knowledge on career transition difficulties among college student-athletes, yet we know relatively little about how the multiple dimensions of wellness (i.e. emotional, occupational, physical, social, intellectual, spiritual) aid in this process. We conducted one-on-one semi-structured interviews with 13 former Division I college student-athletes. Participants reflected on 1) factors that affected their wellness during their transition; 2) available wellness resources they accessed during and after their transition; 3) unhealthy transition-related experiences that hindered their wellness; and 4) health-related adjustments that helped them enhance their wellness. Results revealed the importance of understanding personal athletic identity, identifying interpersonal supports during and after the transition to life after college sports, and taking concrete steps toward pursuing optimal mental and physical health. Knowledge gained from this study can help inform programs seeking to be of benefit to student-athletes during this challenging life transition.

KEYWORDS:

• Intercollegiate athletics
• sport
• retirement
• student-athlete
• athletic identity
• transition
• wellness

Funding details

The research reported here was supported by the American Athletic Conference Academic Consortium through a grant to the institution(s). The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent views of the American Athletic Conference Academic Consortium.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by American Athletic Conference Academic Consortium

Notes on contributors

Trevor Bopp

Trevor Bopp, PhD is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Human Nutrition and Hospitality Management at the University of Alabama.

Michael Stellefson

Michael Stellefson, PhD, MCHES is a Professor and Endowed Chair in Human Environmental Sciences⁣ in the Department of Health Science at the University of Alabama.

Margaret Stewart

Margaret Stewart is graduate students in the Department of Health Education and Promotion at East Carolina University.

Linxi Zhang

Linxi Zhang is an undergraduate student at East Carolina University.

Avery Apperson

Avery Apperson is graduate students in the Department of Health Education and Promotion at East Carolina University.

Michael Odio

Michael Odio, PhD is an Associate Professor in the Sport Administration program at the University of Cincinnati.