Sport: a career passport?

Abstract

This study was designed to test an assumption that involvement in sport at an international level requires such time and energy commitments that an athlete is unable to develop alternative social, educational or vocational interests and imposes restriction on that athlete's ability to move into a successful post-sport career easily. It was based on the hypothesis that competitive excellence in swimming is not a passport to future career success. This hypothesis was tested using a questionnaire based survey of a sample taken from New Zealand swimmers who represented New Zealand at Commonwealth or Olympic Games during the period 1950-1988, and a series of case studies. It was confirmed that, although sports excellence does little harm it is not in itself a guarantee of future career success. It is the recommendation of this study that athletes devote time and energy to developing vocational skills in conjunction with the development of athletic excellence.