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Tuesday 9 June 2020

Career Transitions for the Elite Athlete by Callum Wilkinson



Image by David Marcu/@davidmarcu




Hi Everyone


I hope all is well


This is a the next post of 2020, is by my good friend Callum Wilkinson. It is all about career transitions for the elite athlete.


Hope all my readers you find this useful :)


Enjoy!


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This is my first time writing a blog for Andrew so thought I would just introduce myself and the topic I’m going to discuss.



I’m Callum and I cycled at an elite and professional level for three years before commencing my BSc in Sport Science at Teesside University.  Whilst at university I’d never really managed to reconcile with my time as a cyclist and I began to struggle with feelings of regret and anger at myself for not fully capitalising on my time as an athlete.  What I mean by that is I always felt I should have done things differently, from communicating more with teammates, sponsors, attending networking events and just generally having a more of a wider perspective on things.  As an athlete I was very driven and determined but that really went against me as I could only see one path and was usually blinkered to what was going on around me.



Anyway, fast forward onto my final year at uni and it was time to decide on a dissertation topic.  I decided on investigating the struggles elite athletes face when transitioning out of sport and into a more ‘normal’ life.  The findings all confirmed what I suspected- athletes struggled with a loss of identity, loss of purpose in life, feelings of deep regret and in some cases falling into a very depressed state of mind.  These were all very familiar, but I decided for my MSc thesis to flip it on its head and look into what can be done to support young athletes who are transitioning into elite sport.  If we catch them at young age and guide them then hopefully, they won’t have to experience any of this when their athletic career is coming to a close…



The athletic career transition has received widespread research attention over the years (Wylleman and Lavalee, Stambulova, Alferman, Statler to name just some) but strangely there has been less focus devoted on how we can support young athletes making a difficult transition into professional sport.  I think Bloom (1985) was one of the first to explore the transition into elite sport at a conceptual level, describing the entry into elite sport as a critical developmental phase in which athletes become more dedicated to their sport and where the amount of training and level of specialisation increases.  That was over 30 years ago now though and there’s really only been dribs and drabs since then into this specific topic.



What makes this a particularly difficult time for youngsters is a compound effect of not only coping with the normal demands associated with adolescence but also encountering events and issues (e.g., injury, burnout) that may increase the pressures of the development process.  I could go on and on listing the potential challenges faced at this stage, but I thought I would bullet point below some of the key things I’ve learnt from my research and also my time spent as an athlete.  Hopefully these can provide some guidance to young athletes, coaches, parents and even schoolteachers who may be supporting in the transition:








1. Communicate.  Don’t be afraid to open up with teammates, friends, family etc.  Having a strong support network has been found to be a critical factor to youth athlete success, especially during the entry transition into elite sport.


2. Don’t put lots of pressure on yourself.  You will have down days and performances but focus on the bigger picture and don’t compare yourself to others.  This is something coaches and parents need to be aware of to remind the athlete to remain task focused and the importance of competing against themselves.


3. Enjoy your sport and have fun.  Rigid training structures have their place, especially as an athlete matures and becomes more specialised but having fun with your training and competing is a must in order to get the best out of yourself.  Plenty of evidence has shown that to much emphasis on results and performance, especially at a young age, can lead to injury, disengagement and reduced performance. 


4. In relation to the above point, don’t put all your eggs into one basket.  Make sure your studies at school or college are a priority.  Your education will last a lifetime and gives you something to fall back on if your athletic career doesn’t work out. Good coaches should be able to advise and effectively manage an athlete’s time commitments to education and sport. 


5. Network.  You may already be part of a team that has a wide range of sponsors, so reach out to them.  You could start the conversation with telling them about your recent performances or what your plans are for the competitive season.  It gets your name and face known which could lead to opportunities in the future. 


6. Leading on from that last point- use social media platforms to showcase what you’re doing. Fully utilise it to make career connections and get your name out there.  You can then begin to self-market, build a personal brand, and promote yourself.


7. Lastly, Set some goals.  Working towards something is a great way to stay motivated, so set yourself some targets of what you would like to achieve.  I don’t mean these ‘where do you see yourself in 2, 5 or 10 years’ type goals as they are pointless and just put unnecessary pressure on you.  Instead look at outcome goals which deal with your results in competition and analyse elements you could improve upon and Performance goals which will help you breakdown areas you need to work on in order to improve in your next competition. 



This is by no means an exhaustive list but it’s what I have found to be stand out elements which can help an athlete make a much smoother transition into elite sport.  It’s all about taking a holistic approach to life and never putting too much pressure on yourself or trying to live up to someone else’s expectations. 


Thanks for reading,

Callum.

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Thank you Callum for this splendid article. I am sure the readers will find this very useful.

If you want to speak to Callum his LinkedIn is here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/callum-wilkinson01


Andrew Richardson, Founder of Strength is Never a Weakness Blog





















I have a BSc (Hons) in Applied Sport Science and a Merit in my MSc in Sport and Exercise Science and I passed my PGCE at Teesside University. 
Now I will be commencing my PhD into "Investigating Sedentary Lifestyles of the Tees Valley" this October 2019. 

I am employed by Teesside University Sport and WellBeing Department as a PT/Fitness Instructor.  


My long term goal is to become a Sport Science and/or Sport and Exercise Lecturer. I am also keen to contribute to academia via continued research in a quest for new knowledge.


My most recent publications: 


My passion is for Sport Science which has led to additional interests incorporating Sports Psychology, Body Dysmorphia, AAS, Doping and Strength and Conditioning. 
Within these respective fields, I have a passion for Strength Training, Fitness Testing, Periodisation and Tapering. 
I write for numerous websites across the UK and Ireland including my own blog Strength is Never a Weakness. 
























I had my own business for providing training plans for teams and athletes. 
I was one of the Irish National Coaches for Powerlifting, and have attained two 3rd places at the first World University Championships, 
in Belarus in July 2016.Feel free to email me or call me as I am always looking for the next challenge. 



Contact details below; 

Facebook: Andrew Richardson (search for)

Facebook Page: @StrengthisNeveraWeakness

Twitter: @arichie17 

Instagram: @arichiepowerlifting

Snapchat: @andypowerlifter 

Email: a.s.richardson@tees.ac.uk

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-richardson-b0039278 




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