For high-performing athletes, competing to the best of their ability requires daily practice, rigorous training sessions, and even time away from family, with little time for themselves and their studies.
While athletes enjoy a lot of success, fame, and financial security, they often have to compromise on their studies at the peak of their careers.
Dual-career scenario perspective is a term first introduced in the Erasmus+ Sports project “Gold in education and elite sport” (GEES). Nowadays, the issue of dual careers has become the very core of many foreign universities. The phrase emphasizes integrating the complex demands of both athlete and non-athlete students in situations requiring coping mechanisms.
Research done by the Swedish University has highlighted the issues faced by student-athletes when balancing their careers and studies. The study determines that student-athletes need an environment that supports quality teaching and assists them in following their dual career path. For this reason, all universities committed and dedicated to educating athletes must focus on both contents of their teaching.
The study suggests an updated definition of Dual-Career scenarios that must align with four types of DC scenarios regarding the student-athlete perspective:
- Juggling between sports and studies daily
- prioritizing sport while maintaining study
- prioritizing personal life while maintaining sport and study
The research suggests how diving deep into the above-mentioned scenarios can be resourceful in DC and practice.
It indeed represents new challenges for universities in inventing new ways of re-organizing these students, different ways of creating a knowledge-based environment, and learning models. They must also adopt a unique tutoring system to help student-athletes.
Among all the issues dealing with the dual career of student-athletes, tutorship is the primary challenge faced by student-athletes. However, one can mitigate the challenge by encouraging these students to attend as many courses, classes, and exams as possible.
In Europe, the problems are often intensified by legal constraints and administrative rules that often try to fit in student-athletes in the traditional education system. The attendance required for these courses often lead to these students face many problems, which ultimately compel them to mix sport competitions with their obligations as students.
However, the university alone cannot take the responsibility of honing the student-athletes through education. These students must be encouraged and motivated to be part of the university education system and support them in all academic and professional career stages. Therefore, tutorship and the need for a systemic approach highlight the main pedagogical challenges for the dual career of athletes.
The primary goal of a dual-career is to help students dedicate their time and efforts to both sports and study. For the athlete, sport should represent an opportunity to fulfill their life in both personal and professional spheres. An ideal combination of sporting pursuits and education also help in coping with adversity, safeguarding their mental health, and maintaining a promising career. Want to know more? Get in touch with our certified overseas study consultants by ringing us at +91 8595338595 or mail us at web@studyabroadexpert.com.
