The Psychological Affect Women Experience after Retirement from Collegiate Group Sport
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Authors
Jackson, Samantha Lynn
Issue Date
2019
Type
Dissertation
Language
en
Keywords
"retirement","college shudent-athlete","descriptive phenomenology","group sport","athletic identity","women"
Alternative Title
Abstract
This dissertation focuses on women's psychological experience once they retire from collegiate group sports and graduate from a four-year college. All participants were within the 5-year limitation of retirement, which allowed time for possible transition and reflection but a short enough time to remember key transition details. Using the transtheoretical model as a guide to evaluate the participants' change process, this writer assessed transitions out of sport and into careers. The participants reflected on their physical, emotional, social, and psychological domains throughout the transition and identified distress points. The reason for gathering this qualitative data was to understand each participant's subjective experience and learn how to minimize distress for student-athletes who graduate and transition into careers post-college. Each participant shared that this experience was not discussed or explained before graduation and wished they would have been informed. Major themes of distress include anxiety and depression, change in body image, transition with identity, and feelings of isolation.