Life and Work After Sports: Former NCAA Athletes’ Experiences of Athletic Retirement and Career Transition

This study examines former collegiate student athletes’ experiences of career development and transition out of sport and into post-college life and the world of work. For most student athletes, the termination of an athletic career is inevitable and coincides with graduation and transition into a non-sport career. Many student-athletes are unprepared for the transition and experience psychological and emotional difficulties that may interfere with mental health, wellbeing, and career development. This mixed-methods study explores recently graduated, former student athletes’ experiences of athletic retirement and career development.