A longitudinal qualitative exploration of elite Korean tennis players’ career transition experiences

Citation

Park S, Lavallee D & Tod D (2013) A longitudinal qualitative exploration of elite Korean tennis players’ career transition experiences. Athletic Insight, 15 (1), pp. 65-92. http://www.athleticinsight.com/Vol15Iss1/Transition.htm

Abstract
The purpose of this study was to explore elite Korean tennis players’ career transition experiences, focusing on psychological components (i.e., self-identity, life skills development, and coping strategies) and socio-cultural influences through the process. A longitudinal qualitative method was employed, and Korean tennis players (N= 5; two males and three females; mean age 29.8 ± 5.54 years) who were considering retirement participated in the current study. Data were analyzed by interpretative phenomenological analysis and resulted in three super-ordinate themes: (a) sense of self and process of identity shift, (b) available resources during the career transition process, and (c) decision-making processes and consequences of decisions. These results provided practical implications for supporting athletes’ career transitions (e.g., developing a balanced self-identity and life skill during their athletic careers, providing proactive intervention) and future research directions (e.g., examining athletes’ retirement decision-making process, the need of cross-cultural research).

Keywords
Sport; Retirement

Journal
Athletic Insight: Volume 15, Issue 1