A1 Journal article (refereed)
Urheilu-uran yhdistäminen koulutukseen : kaksoisuraympäristöt ja urheilulukioiden menestystekijät Suomessa (2021)
Integrating an athletic career with school in Finland : Dual career environments and success factors of sport high schools

Nikander, A., Saarinen, M., Aunola, K., Kalaja, S., & Ryba, T. V. (2021). Urheilu-uran yhdistäminen koulutukseen : kaksoisuraympäristöt ja urheilulukioiden menestystekijät Suomessa. Liikunta ja tiede, 58(1), 77-85. https://www.lts.fi/media/lts_vertaisarvioidut_tutkimusartikkelit/2021/lt_1_2021_s77-85.pdf

JYU authors or editors

Nikander, Aku
Saarinen, Milla
Aunola, Kaisa
Kalaja, Sami
Ryba, Tatiana

Publication details

All authors or editors: Nikander, Aku; Saarinen, Milla; Aunola, Kaisa; Kalaja, Sami; Ryba,Tatiana V.

Journal or series: Liikunta ja tiede

ISSN: 0358-7010

Publication year: 2021

Volume: 58

Issue number: 1

Pages range: 77-85

Publisher: Liikuntatieteellinen seura

Publication country: Finland

Publication language: Finnish

Persistent website address: https://www.lts.fi/media/lts_vertaisarvioidut_tutkimusartikkelit/2021/lt_1_2021_s77-85.pdf

Publication open access: Other way freely accessible online

Publication channel open access:

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/74225

Abstract

The European sport policy has been focused on fostering links between sport and education systems with the aim to establish an integrated dual career pathway for athletes who attempt to combine their athletic careers with education or work. Partners of the collaborative Ersamus+ sport project entitled “Ecology of Dual Career” (ECO-DC) conceptualized dual career development environments (DCDEs) as purposefully developed systems that aim to facilitate athletes’ investment in combining their competitive sporting career with education or work, and, therefore include both (sporting and educational or vocational) career aspects within them (Morris et al. 2020). The current study drew on national data with the aims to identify the different types of DCDEs in Finland and to evaluate the prevalence of different DCDE success features in Finnish sports high schools.Twelve types of DCDEs were identified which can be categorized into sports based, education based and work-based environments. To evaluate success features of the sports high school ́s environment, 48 support staff members (e.g., teachers, coaches, principals, physiotherapists) and 21 student-athletes participated in the online survey. Strengths of the Finnish sports high schools, as evaluated by the support staff and student-athletes, were dual career support team, access to expert support, empowerment approach and flexible dual career solutions. The support staff evaluated the whole person approach, flexible dual career solutions and care of dual career athletes’ mental health and well-being higher compared to student-athletes’ evaluations.

Keywords: athletes; professional sports career; study; career; combining; career development; sports-oriented general upper secondary schools