Från elitidrott till yrkeskarriär : En studie av elitidrottsutövares upplevelser av karriärövergång och ledarkvalitéer

Sammanfattning: There have been numerous of examples where former elite athletes have had a problem with adaptingto the life as a civilian. Research has shown that it is common among former athletes to experiencenegative emotions when ending an elite career in sports. What separated the ones who successfullymoved on to achieve greatness outside of the sports environment? This study was about female formerelite athletes which have a senior position and their views on what role the elite career had on theirfollowing career. The purpose of the study was to examine what generic traits, knowledges and skillsthat elite sports can help to develop and that is usable in a senior position. The study also aimed togain knowledge about how female former elite athletes from the county of Vasterbotten, Sweden,experienced and handled the transition from elite sports to the life as a civilian. To answer thesequestions eight interviews were conducted with female former elite athletes from a variety of sports.The main result showed that there were several factors that helped these former elite athletes tohandle the transitional phase in a good way. They all agreed that elite sports helped to develop goaldetermination, a will to continually evolve, manage both success and adversity and lastly teamworkand social skills. Regarding how their athletic career influenced the job opportunities following theircareer termination, the study found that their athletic career had either a direct or indirect influence.