Entering higher education : Dual career transition experiences of Swedish student-athletes

Abstract: The objectives in this study were to investigate dual career transitions experiences and the overall perception of the transition process of university student-athletes in a Swedish dual career program. Twenty-one interviews were conducted with student-athletes between 19-29 years (M=22.14, SD=2.52) at the end of their first study year, based on the holistic developmental model and the athletic career transition model. The interviews were analyzed based on the athletic career transition model (perceived demands, resources, barriers, coping strategies) as well as the overall perception, outcomes and personal meaning of the dual career transition of the first year. The results revealed that the student-athletes experienced simultaneous demands within the dimensions of life, and the biggest perceived demands  were the search of a dual career balance. The most mentioned resource was social support, and the student-athletes experienced the most barriers within the academic dimension. The most common coping strategy was coping with the athletic dimension. The overall perception resulted in perceived benefits, perceived challenges and lessons learned from their first year. The results for this study can be a part of the Swedish dual career research which can provide information in the development of Swedish guidelines on dual careers.