Understanding dual career views of European university athletes: The more than gold project focus groups

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0264175
• Publication Date: 2022-02-25T18:42:18Z
• Authors: Laura Capranica; Mojca Doupona; Ilvis Abelkalns; Ugis Bisenieks; Antonio Sánchez-Pato; Francisco José Cá...; António J. Figuei...; Juan Alfonso Garc...; Alejandro Leiva-A...; Lourdes Meroño; Anda Paegle; Liliana-Elisabeta...; Cristian-Mihail Rus; Oana-Mihaela Rusu; Hugo Sarmento; Janis Stonis; Raquel Vaquero-Cr...; Vasco Vaz; Barbara Ghinassi; Pascal Izzicupo; Angela Di Baldass...
• Keywords: Adult; Male; Career Choice; Universities; Science; 4. Education; Q; R; Europe; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Athletes; Medicine; Humans; Female; achievement; adult; article; athlete; career; clinical article; female; financial management; human; human experiment; male; qualitative research; social support; student athlete; team sport; tertiary education; university student; young adult; Curriculum; Students; Research Article; Sports

Previous studies have found that student-athletes (S-As) difficulties in achieving dual career (DC) success. However, no analysed the opinion of S-As on functioning DC with a qualitative methodology. The aim present work was to collect opinions elite university relation policy adopted by their academic institutions different European countries. In total, 77 athletes (F = 35, M 42; age range: 20–25 years) participated 15 national face-to-face focus groups five countries, discuss aspects higher education institutes should implement to: 1) athletes’ needs; 2) assistance/tutorship: curricula requirements; 3) financial support; 4) logistic 5) social and 6) policies. Fifty competed individual sports twenty-seven team sports. Of them, 57 enrolled at undergraduate, 17 master 3 PhD. were presented 13 open-ended questions one one, ensured freedom interact. All discussions recorded. After this, general discussion took place which participants identified agreed final list statements from group deemed be relevant as students. Then, consensus meeting, findings combined, repetitions eliminated, fragmented condensed into broader ones. A 31 statements, organized six related content units, needs (n 5), assistance/tutorship requirements 4), support 6), policies 3), respectively. conclusion, this cross-national research study synthesized views about most provisions provide ensure them positive experiences towards achievement degree.