A taxonomy of dual career development environments in European countries

ABSTRACT

Research question. The last decade has seen an increase in empirical research associated with dual careers in sport, with a particular focus on understanding and developing individual characteristics which are important to ensure success in sports and education or a vocation. More recent work has, however, also identified the importance of environmental factors in ensuring successful dual career outcomes. The aims of this study, therefore, are to: (a) identify and classify the different types of dual career development environments (DCDEs) and (b) provide outlines of the key features of the environments identified.

Research methods. To achieve these aims, this study adopted the procedure of initial documentary analysis, interviews with knowledgeable stakeholders, cross-case analysis, and researcher discussions across seven countries in Europe (Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom).

Results and findings. Results highlighted that there are eight types of DCDEs – (a) sports-friendly schools, (b) elite sport schools/colleges, (c) professional and/or private club programs, (d) sport-friendly universities, (e) combined dual career systems, (f) national sports programs, (g) defense force programs and (h) players’ union programs with a range of approaches to supporting dual careers.

Implications. The research has practical implications in the context of dual career, through providing a possible framework for developing national taxonomies and, therefore, identifying DCDE characteristics and gaps in dual career support.

KEYWORDS:

• dual careers of athletes
• elite sport
• talent development
• support system
• ecological approach

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to express their gratitude to all who participated in the study. We also thank all members of the Erasmus+ sport project entitled ‘Ecology of Dual Career’ (ECO-DC) for their cooperation during this study and the entirety of the project.

Disclosure statement

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

Notes

1 The increased dual career provision has also resulted in this becoming a key focus at a political level, with the European Commission supporting the development and optimization of such delivery via practice guidelines in the area (e.g. European Commission, 2012) and research projects such as, Be a winner in elite sport and employment before and after athletic retirement (B-Wiser Consortium, 2019) and Gold in Education and Elite Sport (GEES Consortium, 2016).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Erasmus Plus Sport Program: [Grant Number 590476-EPP-1-2017-1-UK-SPO-SCP].