Facilitating Student-Athletes' Dual Career Transition: A Scandinavian University Case Study

This study combines the holistic ecological and holistic developmental approaches through a mixed methods intrinsic case study with a convergent design to explore how a dual career (DC) development environment (DCDE) facilitated student-athletes' transition to a Scandinavian university. The case was explored through multiple sources of data inspired by the research methodology in the holistic ecological approach and the DC-Environment Success Factors (DC-ESF) working model. Semistructured interviews, with student-athletes and support providers, and documents analysis were complemented by a quantitative monitoring of the student-athletes' transition experiences. Findings are presented in a joint display by merging the qualitative and quantitative data in an empirical version of the DC-ESF model. The empirical model summarizes the case by situating the environment in student-athletes' development and showing a challenging transition with athletic and nonathletic demands and a well-coordinated and supportive environment with a mission of a balanced and synchronized whole and targeting empowerment of the whole person. The student-athletes developed their DC competences and a holistic attitude to development, improved in sport and study, and in their ability to balance their DC. This study contributes to the literature by bridging the gap between transition and environment research. By integrating the two approaches, the study explicitly shows the fit between the student-athletes' needs and the environment's support leading to the conclusion that effective DCDEs works to meet student-athletes' needs by helping them to develop DC competencies to create and maintain an optimal DC balance.