Elite athletes’ subjective wellbeing trajectories throughout the retirement transition: an analysis using Ruthven’s (2022) transition model

Abstract

Aims

Utilizing Ruthven’s (2022) transition model, we explored how identity, voluntariness, and reason for retirement are related to subjective wellbeing throughout an athlete’s retirement.

Methods

541 participants completed an anonymous, online survey and estimated their wellbeing starting before retirement and up to the present. A set of linear mixed models regressed the seven wellbeing outcomes on the three measures, with education, gender, and time since retirement as covariates.

Results

Identity: Athletic Identity wellbeing was significantly and consistently lower than Diversified Identity. Voluntariness: Surprise retirement was significantly more difficult and contributed to a sharper decline on the day of transition. Reason for retirement: Pursue Something Else and Right Time experienced no significant wellbeing changes, while Injury had a significant decline on their transition day. Motivation Loss experienced significantly lower wellbeing prior to retirement, and a significant, gradual rise on the day of and throughout their transition.

Conclusions

There are wellbeing benefits for a diverse identity, voluntary retirement, and retiring due to pursuing something else, or feeling ready to retire. At risk groups include retiring due to injury, low motivation, and loss of eligibility/graduation. Findings support the benefit of utilizing a theoretical model to explain elite athlete outcomes.

Keywords:

• Athletic identity
• involuntary retirement
• sport retirement
• subjective wellbeing
• transition model
• reason for retirement

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This project was entirely funded by the authors.