Abstract
Objectives: Retirement from elite sport is a turning point in the life of athletes, and it has been the subject of intensive research in sports science for over 50 years. Around 10 years ago, a comprehensive review with 126 studies on the topic was published by Park et al. (2013), summarising the relevant factors and the available resources that influence the quality of the transition. Since then, there have been various specialised reviews (i.e., on facets of the topic or type of sport), but no overview of the entire research topic. Therefore, the aim of this scoping review was to summarise the theoretical and methodological advances in research on athlete retirement over the past 10 years.
Methods: Following the JBI guidelines (Peters et al. (2020) and PRISMA-ScR (Tricco et al., 2018), six databases were systematically searched for peer-reviewed original research articles on the topic (since 2013), and 4469 articles were screened. Information on the topic, theory, methodology, and major findings was extracted from 101 articles.
Results: The majority of the studies were qualitative in nature, utilizing a cross-sectional or retrospective design. These studies were focused on sport-specific transition models (such as the HAC model; Wylleman, 2019), and performed thematic analyses to examine “retirement experiences.” Other studies were conducted on body image/nutritional behaviour after retirement and a few studies dealt with more recent topics such as sporting behaviour after retirement and the role of social identity.
Discussion: Overall, in the many and thematically diverse studies, there is a disconnect between theoretical assumptions, in particular with regard to multi-dimensionality, complexity, individual, and specificity, and the methodology used (e.g., correlation design, investigation of linear relationships). By better matching theory and methodology in addressing the still-existing research gaps, further insights into the transition out of elite sport could be gained.
Methods: Following the JBI guidelines (Peters et al. (2020) and PRISMA-ScR (Tricco et al., 2018), six databases were systematically searched for peer-reviewed original research articles on the topic (since 2013), and 4469 articles were screened. Information on the topic, theory, methodology, and major findings was extracted from 101 articles.
Results: The majority of the studies were qualitative in nature, utilizing a cross-sectional or retrospective design. These studies were focused on sport-specific transition models (such as the HAC model; Wylleman, 2019), and performed thematic analyses to examine “retirement experiences.” Other studies were conducted on body image/nutritional behaviour after retirement and a few studies dealt with more recent topics such as sporting behaviour after retirement and the role of social identity.
Discussion: Overall, in the many and thematically diverse studies, there is a disconnect between theoretical assumptions, in particular with regard to multi-dimensionality, complexity, individual, and specificity, and the methodology used (e.g., correlation design, investigation of linear relationships). By better matching theory and methodology in addressing the still-existing research gaps, further insights into the transition out of elite sport could be gained.
| Original language | English |
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| Publication date | Jul 2024 |
| Publication status | Published - Jul 2024 |
| Event | European Congress of Sport and Exercise Psychology - Innsbruck, Austria Duration: 15. Jul 2024 → 19. Jul 2024 https://www.fepsac2024.eu/ |
Conference
| Conference | European Congress of Sport and Exercise Psychology |
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| Country/Territory | Austria |
| City | Innsbruck |
| Period | 15/07/2024 → 19/07/2024 |
| Internet address |