ATHLETE DEVELOPMENT PATHWAYS

From Emerging to Professional Sports Career Transitions

Athlete Transition Map - building from train to train to PERFORMING at Professional Level.

Emerging Athlete Pathways and Transitions in Professional Sport

The emerging athlete pathway transitions from identification, via talent development environments (collegiate, academies, pathways programmes) into a sporting career apprenticeship in professional clubs via a junior to senior progression.

The PRESSURE TO PERFORM comes at a time of equally difficult adolescent development and trying to figure out who they are and what they want to do. 

Chasing that professional sporting career comes with a whole lot of STUFF they/you have to do and to be:

  • It typically coincides with finishing and/or leaving school

  • For many this can involve moving away from home or even to a different country, away from friends and family.

  • To a tough environment where you are dealing with constant cycles of selections and contracting prospects and cultural differences.

  • And the truth is they/you are probably not quite ready to be that independent and understandably still “just want to be teenager sometimes”

The diagram below models the process in terms of stress or transition management - the ability to cope, the importance of robust internal and external relational, and physical resources is critical to success on and off the field/court.

Emerging Athlete Transition Model - Thomas et al (2024) - Emerging athletes’ career transitions in professional sport: an existential multi-case perspective, Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 6. LINK TO PAPER

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Note on the Research

Until very recently, there has been very limited research and conceptualisation of the emerging athlete career transition, which is now of increasing significance with the growth in professional sports. A summary is offered in my PhD Chapter 3.2 of the PhD thesis: Emerging Athlete’s Transition in Professional Sport: An Existential Multi-Case Perspective, Dr P.G. Thomas, 2024, available in https://openrepository.aut.ac.nz/.

The thesis referenced other leading researchers in sporting career transitions including Wylleman, Stambulova, Collins and Gullich.