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Abstract
This paper attempts to explain, using a multi-case study approach, why some young elite athletes, who have shown extraordinary talent in childhood, leave competitive sport in adolescence. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five young elite athletes who decided to withdraw from elite sport. Interview data were analyzed using the interpretive phenomenological framework developed by Smith and Osborne (2008). A paradoxical relationship was found between success during childhood and continuous participation in competitive sports. Those who showed early extraordinary talent in sport tended to prematurely withdraw from the sport during adolescence. However, participants who mentioned early difficulties tended to show greater adherence to and remained active in the sport, even after concluding their competitive careers.
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Jiri Mudrak
Jiri Mudrak obtained Ph.D. in developmental psychology at the Faculty of Social Studies, Masaryk University, Brno. During his academic career he worked as a lecturer and researcher at Masaryk University in Brno and Charles University in Prague. Recently he obtained a post -doc grant at the Faculty of Education at Charles University in Prague aimed at constructs and practices used in t he Czech gifted education. In his research he focuses on factors related to the long-term development of giftedness, especially by utilizing qualitative methodology.