An international analysis of career assistance programmes for high-performance athletes

Figures & data

Figure 1. Holistic Athlete Career (HAC) model (Wylleman 2019).

Table 1. Overview of career assistance programmes worldwide.

Country	Sport organisation and its programme	Eligibility	Aims/Objectives	Practitioners (P)	Training for P	Evaluation
Australia	Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) – Athlete Wellbeing and Engagement (AW&E)	National level athletes with podium potential.	To manage dual careers (sport and education/work) while training to compete at the highest level. To develop self-aware and self-directed athletes.	AW&E Managers	Certificate IV in Career Development, Complete range of skills in the AW&E space.	Surveys. Face to face meetings.
	South Australian Sports Institute (SASI) – Personal Excellence; Athlete Wellbeing and Engagement (AW&E)	Age between 18–22 emerging athletes. Or athletes on SASI scholarship.	Sport and Work balance	A Director and an Athlete Career Development Advisor	Some opportunities for Personal development (e.g. Career pathway)	Review process, collect feedback from athletes (not regularly assessed).
Belgium	ADEPS (Administrative service of the Ministry of the French Community of Belgium) – Projet de vie	The priority is given to high-level athletes.	To help the athletes to make transitions Sport and Work balance.	‘Projet de vie’ representatives from each federation.	Regular meetings with federation representatives and top athletes to discuss about future career path.	Not clear.
	Sport Vlaanderen (Administration of the Ministry of Sport) – Carrièrebegeleiding Topsport	Olympic disciplines. European/World level.	To career support during and after sporting career. To improve the policy regarding dual career.	Advisors, career coaches, and dual career support providers.	One day of training for career coaches.	Surveys.
Botswana	Botswana National Olympic Committee – IOC Athletes Career Program (ACP)	Elite Athletes. National team some potential athletes.	To prepare athletes for life after sport. To help them develop life skills.	Manager, Sport Development & Team Services officer, Logistics officer- member support, Games Assistant, and Anti-doping Officer.	No structured training and development programmes, but support services providers are nominated to attend courses as organised occasionally by the IOC.	No impact assessments.
Canada	Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Sport Institutes – Game Plan	1. Sport Canada carded athletes – or national training group athletes. 2. Category one athletes who have retired from sport within the past two years. 3. Category one athletes who have been retired for more than two-years are eligible for some Game Plan services.	To provide support to excel on and off the field of play so that their transition is as smooth and healthy as possible.	Game Plan has National Manager, a marketing and programmes manager, a logistics and services specialist. 10 Game Plan advisors and three part time advisor assistants.	Support professional development opportunities for the team. No specific courses yet but consider designing courses for the advisors.	Surveys.
Demark	Team Denmark – Dual Career (DC) as a support model	International level athletes or potential international athletes	To develop elite athletes in sport, education, and personal life.	An advisor and dedicated educational advisors. Coaches and sport directors advise and integrate DC in the sport setups.	Network meetings. Workshop and seminars.	Surveys.
France	Ministry of Sports via the National Institute of Sport	All the athletes classified ‘High Level Athlete’.	To enable athletes to perform in sport and in education.	Counsellors, tutors, one coordinator per federation. A coordinator at the regional level, a coordinator per CREPS (regional centre of Performance Team).	Organised by the Ministry – training sessions to increase the level and the competencies of the counsellors.	None.
Germany	German Olympic Sports Federation (DOSB) – Dual Career (DC)	Members of the national teams (approximately 5,000 athletes).	To help athletes find adequate career opportunities, as well as assistance during sport career transition.	The career advisors in the Olympic Training Centres. Two employees in the department support and service management.	Two conferences per year (two to three days) with workshops and/or seminars for professional development and opportunities to interact and interchange with colleagues.	Unclear from data.
Hong Kong	Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China (SF&OC) – The Hong Kong Athletes Career & Education Programme (HKACEP)	Nominated by National Sports Associations. Current national team. Retiring athletes (to be retired within 24 months). Retired athletes up to 6 years after retirement.	To reduce apprehensions of serving athletes; To prepare for life after sport. To have successful employment upon retirement. To equip with life skills and knowledge.	HKACEP staff members.	Staff to join external job training courses or career enhancement courses.	Key Performance Index on athletes’ education and career support, reviewed each year.
IOC	IOC – Athlete 365 Career+ (online) and Outreach	Open access to all the athletes.	To provide customised support/services. To help athletes career development. To provide educational resources and scholarships.	IOC supports NOCs for their delivery. NOCs (delivery). Sport Department: −Director −Olympic interns −Full time consultant (outreach programme) −Adecco officer	For outreach programme, a series of workshops, retired athletes are trained as an instructor. No structured training programmes for practitioners yet.	Planning to develop a structured assessment.
Ireland	Sport Ireland Institute – The Athlete Career Development Programme	Carded athletes identified by the National Governing Bodies (NGBs).	To help athletes develop life skills. To assist athletes in managing performance and their sport career. To provide personalised services based on athletes’ needs and requests.	Performance Life Skills Advisers.	Multi-discipline team training day. Individual service focus to upskill individuals. CPD training opportunities.	Surveys. Internal evaluation process. Performance review.
Japan	Japanese Olympic Committee – Career Academy	Olympic Athletes and potential Olympic athletes.	To help athletes focus on performance enhancement in sports. To help athletes find work places to continue their sports careers. To help athletes find jobs after retirement.	Director of career design department.	No structured training programmes yet.	Annually completequestionnaires
Malaysia	National Sports Council of Malaysia – Malaysian Athletes Career and Education Programme (MACE)	All athletes under the national programme, including disabled athletes.	To prepare the athletes to be ready for their retirement in terms of securing job opportunities, and financially.	Government administered some mentoring	Outsource to the private institutions and sports clubs. NSC provides the education programmes where they have the expertise.	No structured assessment yet.
Netherlands	National Olympic Committee & National Sports Federation (NOC*NSF) – Transition to the next career	High-level current and recently retired athletes. There are approximately 800 athletes.	To help athletes become familiar with the importance of a good transition to ensure a smooth career change.	Support team consists of the programme project leaders, TeamNL experts, performance managers, and activity-specialised partners.	No training and development programmes for support services providers yet.	Surveys and Impact Assessments.
New Zealand	High Performance Sport NZ (HPSNZ) – Athlete Life, Crossroads	The NZ Government supports 13 sports and 350 athletes. Other sports can buy back services from HPSNZ.	To help athletes identify their values, motivations, and strengths. To build identity and balance outside sport.	Athlete life advisors. Sports psychologists	Professional development as required (e.g. ICF accreditation, motivational interviewing, strength-based counselling, career counselling courses, sponsorship workshops, strengths training, and disc profiling). The psychology team completes their own training.	Satisfaction survey. Feedback after workshops and interventions.
Oceania National Olympic Committee (ONOC)	Voice of Athletes (VOA) programme National level athletes	Members of national teams who compete at international level (e.g. Olympics, Pacific Games).	To raise awareness of public issues. To assist athletes in taking leadership roles in addressing such issues. To help athletes develop life skills. To assist athletes in finding employment opportunities.	VOA Champions (former/current athletes) who are trained to deliver the programme.	Trained via Champion’s programme.	Structured assessment recently carried out.
Portugal	NOC of Portugal, through the Portuguese Olympic Athletes Commission – Athlete Career Programme	Primarily Olympic athletes. Other elite Portuguese athletes included.	To alert the athletes of timely preparation for the transition to the post-sporting career. To prepare athletes for transition. To offer direct support in the moment of transition.	Athletes commission members and staff, with the support of Adecco professionals.	No structured training programmes yet. However, the board member of the Athletes’ Commission is an ACP trainer.	Unclear from data.
Singapore	Singapore Sport Institute – Athlete Life Management (ALM) programme	Team Singapore carded athletes.	spexBusiness: is a customised scheme that seeks partnerships with industry, spexEducation: provides support for student-athletes to cope effectively with the dual demands of sports and education.	Staff of Athlete Life team. The team is made up of four staff (two spexBusiness staff, and two spexEducation staff).	Workshops and seminars on life coaching.	Database kept and monitored.
South Korea	The Korean Sport Olympic Committee (KSOC) – Athlete Career Support Program	Former & current athletes on the KSOC athlete registration system. The targets can vary according to courses within the programme.	To grow career mindset and raise awareness of athletes. To assist athletes in developing career transition competency.	Advisors and counsellors from key stakeholders and Commissions within the KSOC.	For a counsellor: 1 million KRW/year budget for tuition. For a KSOC employee (education/training in general), − 500,000 KRW/year budget for tuition − 50 hours-compulsory education/training −Other programmes affiliated with other organisations (e.g. MEMOS).	Surveys and overall monitoring and evaluation.
Spain	The High-Performance Sports Centre of Catalonia (CAR) – Athlete Support Service (SAE in Catalan)	Eligibility not clear.	To advise the athletes throughout their sporting career in order to guide and help them.	One coordinator and two counsellors.	No structured training programmes yet.	No structured assessment yet.
Sweden	Swedish Olympic Committee – Top and Talent programme	Current national team athlete or athletes with potential to reach top 8 in the world.	To support athletes for reaching their top level of performance. To support athletes’ dual careers.	One officer as a contact person of the programme. Sport directors also work with athletes, coaches, and managers from federations.	No structured training programmes. Network of specialists support the practitioners in relation to programme contents and delivery.	Annual development dialogues with the sport director and athletes.
USA	U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee – Athlete Career and Education (ACE) program	Current Team USA elite and emerging elite athletes in all Olympics and Paralympic sports plus Pan American sports. Retired Olympians and Paralympians.	To provide current and retired Team USA athletes with career, education, and life skills resources to support athletic performance goals, facilitate successful transition to post-elite competition careers.	ACE Career Coaches, contracted service providers, sponsors, and donors.	Career coach certification, leadership training, assessment certification, mental health first aid – all provided by external organisations and experts	Full monitoring and evaluation of athlete careers during and post their time as athletes.

Table 2. Contents and Activities of Career Assistance Programmes measured by the HAC model (Wylleman 2019).

Sport organisations	Contents and Activities	Levels
Australia (AIS)	Personal development; career and education; mental health; conduct and professionalism; community engagement.	Psychological Psycho-social Academic/Vocational
Australia (SASI)	Workshops including induction; athlete wellbeing support.	Athletic Psychological Psycho-social
ADEPS	Adapt the study courses to the athlete schedule within the school/universities; customised tutoring to help the athlete.	Academic/Vocational
Sport Vlaanderen	Individual support and advice; cooperate with organisations which offer interesting measures or programmes for athletes; lobby to policy makers.	Psycho-social Academic/Vocational
Botswana National Olympic Committee	The data did not specify the contents and activities.	-
Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Sport Institutes	Career: Job shadowing, internship, flexible work, project-based work term. Employer network. Networking: Networking skills, networking events, game plan alumni network. Education. Skill development workshops: Brand management, financial management (amateur athlete trust, at the bank, borrowing, buying a home, personal income tax training). Health: Mental health support and athlete support (retirement assistance, childcare assistance, and relocation assistance).	Athletic Psychological Psycho-social Academic/Vocational Financial
Team Denmark	Partnership with schools, universities, companies, and local communities; DC advice; Financial support for extended study programmes, Mentor programme.	Psychological Psycho-social Academic/Vocational Financial
INSEP	Individual coaching; adaptation of the studies along the career for employment.	Psycho-social Academic/Vocational
DOSB	Counselling sessions; dual Career events: athletes’ education; sport career transition management programmes and career counselling.	Psychological Psycho-social Academic/Vocational
SF&OC	Athletes consultation; career support; life skills training	Athletic Psychological Psycho-social Academic/Vocational
IOC	Athlete365 Career+: discover who you are; preparing for the transition; preparing for the workspace: Outreach programme:who I am? behavioural discovery; dreams to results; game plan; networking; CV/résumé; interviewing; translating sports to business language; social media; dual careers, entrepreneurship.	Athletic Psycho-social Academic/Vocational
Sport Ireland Institute	Three pillars: education; career (career coaching, skills transferred to work); performance skills.	Athletic Psycho-social Academic/Vocational
Japanese Olympic Committee	Career education programme to help athletes develop knowledge of job market and industry.	Academic/Vocational
MACE	Courses related to sports such as physiotherapy, massage, supporting groups, managers, volunteers, and entrepreneurship.	Academic/Vocational
NOC*NSF	Career planning; coaching on the job; group coaching; job market orientation; internships and working experience; competence development, and psychic and psychosocial support	Psychological Psycho-social Academic/Vocational
HPSNZ	Career education; study support; work experience; CVs and interview techniques; personal development activities (request from individuals); individual coaching and mentoring; group workshops;	Psycho-social Academic/Vocational Financial
ONOC	Play True (anti-doping/substance use); Stay Healthy (education on health and lifestyle issues and how to address them); Go Green (education on the impact of human activities/behaviours on environment); Play Safe (education on safeguarding athletes).	Psycho-social Academic/Vocational
National Olympic Committee of Portugal	Workshops for athletes: education; employment; life skills; entrepreneurship; work experience and preparation.	Academic/Vocational
Singapore Sport Institute	Employment through (1) spexBusiness network partners, (2) spexEntrepreneurship, and (3) spexEthos. spexEducation (athlete life coaching and support, and academic flexibility and support).	Academic/Vocational
KSOC	Career counselling; career education; mentoring programme [request from individuals]; job matching system; surveys and awareness.	Psychological Psycho-social Academic/Vocational
CAR	Customised programs; academic and/or professional education; creating a personal project; monitoring and coordinating with mentoring programs for athletes; advice on finding jobs; support in the process of retirement.	Athletic Psycho-social Academic/Vocational
Swedish Olympic Committee	Specific programmes based on athletes’ needs.	-
U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee	Grants and Funding; career coaching, readiness, and development; education; scholarships and opportunities; financial advisory services and tax preparation; personal growth workshops and advising; skills development training; transition support for retiring athletes; community, network, and resources centre.	Psychological Psycho-social Academic/Vocational Financial Legal

Wylleman, P., 2019. A developmental and holistic perspective on transitioning out of elite sport. In: M.H. Anshel, ed. APA handbook of sport and exercise psychology: vol. 1. Sport psychology. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 201–216. doi: 10.1037/0000123-011.

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