"Vad ska jag göra nu, jag hade inget att gå till" : Herr elithockeyspelares upplevelser av övergången från idrott till karriären efteråt – En kvalitativ retrospektiv studie.

Sammanfattning: The purpose of the study was to examine former men's elite hockey players' experiences of the transition from sports to careers afterwards. All participants have played in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) which is the highest hockey league in Sweden. Eleven interviewees participated in the survey, only men aged 35-53 (M = 43, SD = 5.29). The study used a semi-structured interview guide to conduct the interviews and it was produced using the holistic career development model (Wylleman, 2019) and the athletic career transition model (Stambulova, 2009). The results showed that all participants experienced challenges in making the career transition from elite hockey players to civilian life. The biggest challenges were an uncertainty about the future in the form of not knowing what to do after their elite career. The participants felt that the support from family, friends and the club were important resources during the transition. Barriers that emerged were unpredictable transitions in the form of injuries, many participants focused only on sports, did not see that there is a life after the career and that one day there will be an end to the sports career. The coping strategies that the participants highlighted were to use a double career by studying sports or working when given the opportunity, to be aware of the career after elite hockey in the form of preparations for working life.