| 1. |
- Bonhomme, Justin, et al.
(författare)
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The career trajectories of two world champion boxers : interpretive thematic analysis of media stories
- 2020
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Ingår i: Sport in Society. - Abingdon : Routledge. - 1743-0437 .- 1743-0445. ; 23:4, s. 560-576
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Athlete development can be described through transitions that mark turning phases throughout athletes’ careers. Our authors explored media data to unpack the career developments of two prominent world champion boxers from their early lives to world championship status. Employing thematic analysis, five themes were identified: (1) weathering hardships of early life (subthemes: the rough life of an innercity kid; abject poverty in war-torn Philippines), (2) entry into sport (subthemes: groomed to fight; boxing to escape poverty), (3) amateur experience (subthemes: Olympic medallist en route to the pros; struggling amateur with dreams of greatness), (4) launching a professional career (impressive American prospect; a charismatic unpolished slugger) and (5) capturing a world title (subthemes: the much-anticipated world champion; the unexpected world champion). This exploration augments our understanding of how two worldrenowned boxers’ career developments were represented through sport media and interpreted by the researchers, suggesting parallel pathways for future career boxers and those who work with them. © 2018 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group
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| 2. |
- Book Jr., Robert T., et al.
(författare)
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Oatmeal is better than no meal : the career pathways of ten professional athletes from underserved communities in the United States
- 2021
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Ingår i: International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology. - New York : Taylor & Francis. - 1612-197X .- 1557-251X. ; 19:4, s. 504-523
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The objective of this study was to explore career pathways to athletic success in American professional athletes with low socioeconomic background. Ten African American professional male athletes, who met the criteria of playing at least one year in a professional league and spending their formative years in an American underserved community, participated in the study. Interviews inspired by the cultural praxis of athletes’ careers, lasted 68-137 minutes, and the transcripts were thematically analysed. Four career stages (childhood years, middle/high school years, college years, professional years) and three themes (context, challenges, coping) were visible in the career pathways of the participants. During the first stage the athletes’ athletic foundation was developed by participating in inexpensive, easy to access sports in unstructured sporting environments, while simultaneously relying upon the strength of a mother to keep them safe. An increased susceptibility to the dangers of environmental factors (e.g., drugs, gangs) during the middle/high school years made this period of time the most precarious for the athletes, but was also the most crucial for their athletic development. The college years were a time of “catching up,” whereby the athletes entered a whole new environment for which they were physically (e.g., underweight) and psycho-socially (e.g., racial integration) unprepared, but their hard work and the help of peers and coaches propelled them to success (i.e., professional contract). Finally, the results indicate that coping resources the athletes developed dealing with hardship were perceived as key factors enabling them to endure the difficulties of a professional career. © 2020 International Society of Sport Psychology.
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| 3. |
- Book Jr, Robert T., et al.
(författare)
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Sink or swim : career narratives of two African American athletes from underserved communities in the United States
- 2021
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Ingår i: Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health. - Abingdon : Routledge. - 2159-676X .- 2159-6778. ; 13:6, s. 904-919
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The objective of this study was to explore the career narratives of professional athletes from underserved communities in the United States. Two African American athletes (named Marcus and Imari for the study), who both met the criteria of playing at least one year in a professional league and spending their formative years in an underserved community, participated in this study. Life story interviews lasting about two hours were explored through the principles of narrative analysis, focusing on both content and structure. Each participant constructed a sink or swim narrative typology termed risk, descent, and gain that focused more on the environmental context in an underserved community than their athletic development, which opposes the performance narrative often depicted by professional athletes. Although the contextualised nature of risk manifested differently for Marcus and Imari, their life courses both reflected low points precipitated by risky decisions or circumstances followed by gainful moments ultimately culminating in professional contracts. The analysis also uncovered the realities and challenges associated with having the intersecting identity of being a poor, Black aspiring athlete in a racially charged atmosphere. Finally, the athletes’ perceptions of how their challenging formative development influenced their professional career pathway as well as the ramifications of sink or swim narratives in popular American culture are considered. © 2020, © 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
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| 4. |
- Book, Robert T., et al.
(författare)
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“All they have seen is a model for failure:” Stakeholder’s perspectives on athletic talent development in American underserved communities
- 2022
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Ingår i: Journal of Applied Sport Psychology. - Philadelphia : Routledge. - 1041-3200 .- 1533-1571. ; 34:6, s. 1037-1057
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study explores the primary challenges faced and strategies implemented in underserved athletic talent development environments (UATDEs) in the United States and examines how developing within such environments impacts athletes once they reach the college and professional levels of sports. Thirteen stakeholders (M = 10, F = 3), who had significant experience working with professional and youth athletes from underserved communities, participated in the study. Unstructured interviews lasting slightly over an hour (M = 74 min) were analyzed using the principles of reflexive thematic analysis and the process uncovered two categories: shared features of school-based UATDEs in the United States and the ripple effects of trauma which were used to structure the findings. Within these two categories, primary themes were presented relating to the challenges observed and strategies implemented to overcome these obstacles in UATDEs as well as how developing within a UATDE can influence an athlete upon leaving the environment. The study found that stakeholders (i.e., administrators, coaches, etc.) who work within UATDEs must be aware of the inherent challenges that the environment creates and how to best support the athletes who require increased psychosocial developmental attention. Further, the same stakeholders also need to be supported in their work. Finally, when athletes from UATDEs leave the environment, stress-inducing traumatic events of their formative years may stay with them requiring that stakeholders at the university and professional levels provide support to those that need it as talent can suffer from trauma. Lay summary: This study explored the perceptions of stakeholders who work with athletes in or coming from American underserved communities. The consensus is that significant challenges exist for coaches working in such environments and athletes developing in these circumstances will likely carry emotional trauma with them during their life and athletic careers.Implications for practice Applied practitioners working in UATDEs must prioritize the psychosocial development of their athletes as much, if not more, than athletic development. Organizations, such as AASP and ISSP must educate (e.g., through conferences, seminars, webinars, etc.) stakeholders and coaches working in UATDEs of the potential challenges faced and resources required to excel in such environments. Applied practitioners in university and professional sport must understand that athletes coming from UATDEs will need additional and specialized support focused upon, for example, the transition to a new environment or managing the ripple effects of trauma. © 2021 Association for Applied Sport Psychology.
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| 5. |
- Book, Robert T., et al.
(författare)
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Professional migration from the United States to Europe : Composite vignettes of black male basketball players from underserved communities
- 2021
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Ingår i: Psychology of Sport And Exercise. - : Elsevier. - 1469-0292 .- 1878-5476. ; 54
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: To explore how the intersectional perspective of being a Black male from an underserved community shaped the professional cultural transition of American basketball players to Europe. Design: and Method: The seven Black male athletes, who met the criteria of playing at least one year in a professional European basketball league and spending their formative years in an underserved community in the USA, participated in this study. Life story interviews, lasting between one and 2 h, were analysed through the principles of narrative analysis. Creative non-fiction was used to represent the findings in the form of composite vignettes using the words of the participants to create an evocative and meaningful experiential reconstruction. Findings: The analysis uncovered three primary themes; steppingstones to becoming a professional basketball migrant; from America to Europe: a whole new world once again; and “don't bother to unpack your bags:” from ups and downs to settlement plans. Within these themes, the intersectional identity of being a Black male from a poor community underpinned the storyline. Conclusions: All seven participants left their underserved community at some point during their teenage years, and this transition into a more affluent, White dominated society proved beneficial for the move to Europe. Further, the shared intersectional identity of being an African American male from a low socioeconomic community had critical implications for how they experienced the cultural transition to Europe, and how they were received by the host environment. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd
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| 6. |
- Book, Robert T., et al.
(författare)
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“We are their last chance” : A case study of a college basketball environment in an American underserved community
- 2024
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Ingår i: Journal of Applied Sport Psychology. - Philadelphia, PA : Routledge. - 1041-3200 .- 1533-1571. ; 36:1, s. 1-23
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this case study we used the holistic ecological approach (HEA) to examine an underserved athletic talent development environment (UATDE) in the United States to: (1) holistically describe a successful UATDE—in this case a community college basketball program known as Best Community College, and (2) explore factors contributing to the success of developing athletes that repeatedly earn athletic scholarships. Data were collected via in-situ observations, document analysis, and interviews (both formal and informal) with coaches, players, and other key stakeholders. The findings were summarized in two empirical models: (1) the UATDE empirical model of Best Community College, and (2) the underserved environment success factors (UESF) empirical model of Best Community College. The operation of the UATDE was significantly influenced by the underserved community in which it was embedded, translating to a lack of financial and human resources, while the team’s roster was occupied by athletically talented, but psychosocially vulnerable players. These challenges were overcome, in part, by a dedicated support team as well as the cultural paradigm established by the head coach as a cultural leader. Conclusively, this case study constitutes an important supplementation to the evolving body of literature utilizing the HEA, highlighting how an environmental context can shift the focus of athletic talent development when we consider the concept of a UATDE. Lay summary: This case study explored a successful community college basketball program located within an underserved American community. While the investigation concludes that socioeconomic challenges in the surrounding community created significant barriers to success, the head coach and support team were able to help players succeed in sport and life.IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE Those working in community colleges must be made aware of issues stemming from where the environment is located and also related to the backgrounds of the prospective athletes. Community college sports programs are an important steppingstone to life and sport success for the athletes they serve but a lack of human and financial resources are a large barrier to success that can be counteracted by strong cultural leaders within the sport program. UATDEs must be considered a unique context and practitioners should let this context inform their practice, for example, by supporting the staff as much as the athletes, supporting the head coach in developing a functional cultural paradigm, and supporting the athletes’ broader psychosocial development and not only their performance. © 2023 Association for Applied Sport Psychology.
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
- Defruyt, Simon, et al.
(författare)
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Competencies of dual career support providers (DCSPs) : A scenario-specific perspective
- 2021
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Ingår i: International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology. - New York, NY : Taylor & Francis. - 1612-197X .- 1557-251X. ; 19:1, s. 43-60
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Although dual career (DC) support is important, there is a lack of research on the competencies professional dual career support providers (DCSPs) themselves require to manage specific job challenges. Therefore, current research, that was part of the Gold in Education and Elite Sport (GEES) project, aims at: (1) examining how well DCSPs managed specific challenges (called scenarios) within the European context, (2) identifying the competencies DCSPs need to manage the scenarios, and (3) exploring which variables influence how well they manage these scenarios. The Dual Career Competency Questionnaire for Support Providers with Scenario extension (DCCQ-SPSc) was completed by 288 DCSPs from nine European countries. The scenarios were: (1) Managing a non-supportive environment, (2) Supporting a student-athlete to cope with relocation, (3) Supporting a student-athlete in developing a study plan, (4) Helping a student-athlete to cope with a challenging year, (5) Referring a student-athlete to other professional help, and (6) Dealing with wrong expectations of a student-athlete. Results revealed that each scenario was experienced by more than half of the DCSPs (range 55%–87%) and that in general, they managed these scenarios average up to good. DCSPs prioritised different competency factors depending on the specific scenario. Frequency of experiencing (for the first four scenarios) and possession of the prioritised competency factor (for all scenarios) were significant predictors for the management of the scenarios. This study shows the importance of scenario-specific competency development and can be used in the development of educational curricula for DCSPs. © 2019 International Society of Sport Psychology
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| 9. |
- Diehl, Robert, et al.
(författare)
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Transitioning to and thriving at the Olympic Training Center, Colorado Springs : Phases of an adaptive transition
- 2020
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Ingår i: Sport in Society. - Abingdon : Routledge. - 1743-0437 .- 1743-0445. ; 23:4, s. 678-696
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study was focused on the process of an adaptive transition to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO (further – the OTC) and guided by the research question: What were the dynamic transition experiences of elite resident-athletes that constituted their successful transition to the OTC? A retreatment of Poczwardowski, Diehl, O’Neil, Cote, & Haberl’s (2014) semi-structured interviews with six accomplished resident-athletes was conducted through the lens of the athletic career transition model (Stambulova, 2003) to propose a temporally based Transition to the OTC (further – the TOTC) empirical framework. The TOTC describes the successful transition as having four phases – preparation, assimilation, adaptation, and thriving – involving the dynamic interactions between the resident-athletes and the OTC programs/staff influencing the perceived transition challenges, barriers, resources, coping strategies, and outcomes throughout the four phases. Based on the TOTC, future research on the transitioning to residential training centers is outlined, and practical applications for the OTC staff, coaches, and sport psychologists (e.g., developmentally relevant intake protocols, strengths-based interventions, and orientation materials) are proposed. © 2019 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
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| 10. |
- Ekengren, Johan, 1979-, et al.
(författare)
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Career Assistance to a Team in Crisis-Transition : An Intervention Case Study in Swedish Elite Handball
- 2021
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Ingår i: Case Studies in Sport and Exercise Psychology. - Champaign, IL : Human Kinetics. - 2470-4849 .- 2470-4857. ; 5:1, s. 10-19
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this paper we share how a career assistance program (CAP) was developed, implemented, and evaluated with a Swedish elite handball team. Within this case study the initial version of the CAP’s content was created based on the career-long psychological support services in Swedish handball framework and the first author’s applied experiences. During implementation the head coach terminated unexpectedly and the team appeared in a crisis. This transitional situation led to modification of the CAP to help the players cope with changes. Eighteen players took part in eight workshops dealing with various aspects of their sport and non-sport life (e.g., performance, training, lifestyle, recovery, future planning) with crisis-related issues (e.g., coping with uncertainty) incorporated. Mixed-methods evaluation revealed the players’ perceived increase in personal resources (awareness, skills) and decrease in stress and fatigue. Reflections on working in applied sport psychology from a holistic perspective in a dynamic real-life setting are provided.
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