Trajectories and planning of the vital and professional project of elite athletes

Abstract

Throughout the life course, the elite athlete is concerned with establishing and building a vital and professional project that guides him in the before, during and after the sports retreat. This construction project is vital and professional, helps the athlete guide and plan their own biography. This article analyzes the planning process of the vital and professional project of the elite athletes, with special emphasis on the moment of the sports retreat and on the expectations of the future. Following a descriptive method and through the application of a questionnaire for a sample of Spanish athletes (n =582), information has been collected on four dimensions: work and training for the professional development of elite athletes (I); Labor market information (II); Professional interests, the reasons for labor choice and the decision-making process (III); And competencies of adaptability (IV). The findings of the study showed that elite athletes were concerned with defining a vital and professional project that was in line with their contextual and personal reality.