Reasons for and Difficulties of Ending a Sports Career by Student-athletes
Author(s)
Olga N. Malakh, Candidate of Sciences (Biology), Associate Professor, Associate Professor of the Chair of Theory and Methods of Physical Culture and Sports Medicine, https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3515-0431, P. M. Masherov Vitebsk State University
33 Moskovsky Prospekt (Avenue), Vitebsk, Republic of Belarus, 210038, tel.: +375 (212) 374959, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Abstract. Introduction. The period of the highest sports achievements falls on the student age, and students provide the basis of the national teams. Therefore, there is a need to retain promising athletes in high-performance sports during their studies at university. In this regard, the study objective was to identify the causes and problems of the sports career termination by athletes studying at university.
Materials and methods. The study involved 63 students of the Faculty of Physical Culture and Sports of the P.M. Masherov Vitebsk State University, who finished their sports career during their studies at university. All students were divided into two groups according to their sports qualifications. A questionnaire was employed to identify the difficulties of terminating a sports career.
Results. The primary reasons for quitting a sports career, which were named by most of the respondents, included a career peak achieved (50.0 %) – in the first group; and the lack of results and injury (55.6 % and 29.8 %, respectively) – in the second group. Most of the students did not experience issues related to the sports career termination, 77.8 %, and 55.6 %, respectively. At the same time, the great number of highly qualified athletes needed postsports assistance (58.3 %).
Conclusion. The study has indicated that regardless of sports qualifications, the main reasons for sports career termination are a decrease in sports performance, injuries, and financial difficulties. When ending a sports career, student-athletes with higher sports qualifications experience difficulties reaching a crisis level. The gravest problems for all student-athletes are those related to negative emotional states experienced by them in this period and the need for professional self-determination. The majority of student-athletes in the two groups consider it necessary to have medical, financial, and psychological assistance.
Keywords: sports career, student-athletes, training activities, educational activities, university
For citation:
Pedagogicheskiy IMIDZH = Pedagogical IMAGE. 2021; 15(4): 437-445 (In Russ.). DOI: 10.32343/2409-5052-2021-15-4-437-445
UDС: 796
https://doi.org/10.32343/2409-5052-2021-15-4-437-445