"Playing football and studying is a good combination" : Dual Career Motivation, Stressors and Coping in Swedish Football Players

Abstract: Dual career (DC) means that an athlete combines sport and study/work. A balanced DC strongly depends on an athlete's ability to cope with stressors and is of paramount importance to succeed with both studies and sport (Stambulova et al., 2015; Wylleman & Reints, 2010). The study aimed to explore dual career (DC) motivation, stressors, and coping in Swedish football players. The participants were nine male student-football players from seven football clubs in Sweden aged between 22 to 27 (M = 24.84, SD = 1.50) in Division 1, Superettan, and Allsvenskan (three highest levels of football in Sweden). A semi-structured interview guide was designed to explore the study’s aim.      Based on the result, a thematic map was developed from the central concept, categories, themes, and sub-themes created from analyzing the corresponding data. The thematic map connects all parts of the results and summarizes the study. The results revealed that internal DC motivation dominated, but education was partly affected by external motivation. Lack of support, dealing with time pressure and the challenge with performance and pressure in DC were the most significant stressors. Student-athletes demonstrated different ways of coping with stressors. Three coping strategies were identified. The participants highlighted physical and mental recovery in DC and the importance of social support. Findings showed that Covid-19 (C-19) positively impacted education, where remote learning was beneficial. The discussion, therefore, highlights the recommendations for flexible academic programs for all student-athletes at university to facilitate DC. The study concluded that internal motivation, combined with social support and previous experiences, is the predominant factor in succeeding with DC.