Rolling with the tackles : Helping handball players and coaches cope withclub transition

Sammanfattning: The study’s purpose was to explore a team’s perception of transition within the clubexperienced by both players and coaches, investigate influences of the clubs transition onbasic needs satisfaction as perceived by players as well as coaches and lastly conduct a shortterm intervention aimed at facilitating players’ adaptation to the clubs transition. The study isbased on three theories: the Athletic Career Transitional Model, Self Determination theoryand the holistic ecological approach. The study’s participants all represented a club in thesouth of Sweden and consisted of a total of 23 players at the age of 15-17 (M= 15,96, SD=0,64), the club manager, coaches and parents. The study was a mixed method interventionstudy (questionnaire, semi-structured interviews and an intervention consisting of educationalsessions and an implementation phase).The study revealed that the club is still facilitating with remnants of its transition despiteover-looking it. The study found the targeted club to predominantly demand elite investmentfrom players, experience barriers regarding individual differences and communication withinthe club and resources in the form of popular, well-educated coaches. The clubs transition wasfound to influence all basic needs in some way, the change in management brought positivevalues with autonomy supportive measures and coaches. Increased elite investment anddeficient communication within the club also influenced basic needs. Results from theintervention are presented as well as implications with a basis in the theories used.