``Setting sail for the future`` - Psychological resources for a successful future in and after elite sport

One of the most frequently asked questions for athletes after their sports career is and remains ´´who am I outside of sport´´, which becomes a topic especially when their career ends. It is necessary to come to terms with this, which is even more important for young athletes and a sudden and unplanned career end.

This is precisely where the initiative of the Institute of Sports Science in Germany and the German Sailing Association (DSV) comes in, launching the ´´Setting sail for the Future´´ research project to support off-boarding from the actual sport and support the athlete on the way to a new stage in their life.

Retirement from competitive sports, whether planned or involuntary, is a significant phase of life for athletes. New social and personal roles become part of this new phase of life. This transition is not necessarily accompanied by positive feelings and successful adjustment processes for all athletes - some clearly have difficulties. (Alfermann & Stambulova, 2007; Taylor & Ogilvie, 2001).

Key psychological skills trained in everyday sports could contribute to this. However, the transfer from the sports context to the world of work and life does not always seem to work. One reason may be a lack of awareness of the transfer of competencies and their application in contexts outside of sport. (Debois, Ledon & Wylleman, 2015).

The aim of the service research project conducted by the University of Potsdam accompanied by the German Institute of Sport Science was the development, implementation, and scientific monitoring of counseling services for athletes to support them in their transition to the post-sport future (offboarding). The athletes were supported in their daily practice accordingly to enable a targeted and constructive examination of their cross-contextual competencies. The program is intended to contribute to a positive, association-internal separation culture and focuses on the mental stability and well-being of the departing athletes.

The primary aim of the program development was to enable successful psychological practice within this important phase of sporting careers. The program was scientifically supported for subsequent knowledge transfer and can and should  therefore serve as a model for similar collaborations with other sports associations.

On this basis, individual competency analyses were offered using personnel development methods, their "transportable" competencies were discussed with the athletes, and possible applications outside of sport, such as in the world of work, were developed. A core result of the project is the role model for Olympic sailing. Even though it was developed with the DSV for a specific sport, it can be very interesting for the sports psychology perspective and practice in other top associations and serve as an orientation aid for the athletes.

Bundesinstitut für Sportwissenschaft, Segel Richtung Zukunft (2023). Retrieved from: https://www.bisp.de/DE/Home/Shiny_Projects/SegelRichtungZukunft.html