CHALLENGES IN THE TRANSITION TO ELITE FOOTBALL: COPING RESOURCES IN MALES AND FEMALES

Abstract

José L. Chamorro1, Miquel Torregrosa2, Pedro A. Sánchez-Miguel1, David Sánchez-Oliva1 y Diana Amado1

To cope successfully the transition to the sport elite process is crucial to achieve an adaptation and stability in the professional sports career. Across the developmental model of transitions faced and athlete career transition model, this study explores in a retrospective way the coping resources of 16 football players that they experienced the mentioned transition. The methodology used in this study was qualitative and the content analysis of 16 interviews reveal that the football players having to use resources to cope the sports changes that appear him, must use strategies to cope the changes that are produced in other areas of his life as in psychological, social and academic/laboral area and, thus, to facilitate a successful adjustment to the elite sport.