Från elitsatsning till avhopp : En kvalitativ studie om orsaker till avhopp och tiden därefter inom Svensk elitidrott

Sammanfattning

Dropout from elite sports is a phenomenon within Swedish elite athletics that requires greater attention, resources, and support initiatives. As significant economic and material investments are made in elite sports, there is a need to understand why young athletes choose to end their elite careers. Previous research has primarily focused on individual causes of dropout and the transition from junior to senior level. Therefore, this study addresses a research gap by examining how different factors interact and influence the process from athletic dropout to life after elite sports. The aim of this study is to examine how former elite athletes perceive the factors that influenced their decision to end their elite sports careers, and to gain a deeper understanding of how they experience the process from decision to retire from elite sports up to present day. The study was conducted using a qualitative approach, where the data collection consisted of semi-structured interviews with six former elite team-sport athletes who ended their elite careers between the ages of 19 and 26. The empirical material was analyzed through reflexive thematic analysis, using Bourdieu's concepts of habitus, field, and capital as the theoretical framework. The results show that dropout from elite sports should be understood as a complex and holistic process shaped by several interacting factors. Long-term injuries, performance demands within elite sports, psychological strain, difficulties in balancing work or studies and lack of support emerged as different factors. The study further demonstrates that elite sports strongly influence athletes' identities, social relationships, and everyday lives, making the transition out of elite sports challenging when leaving the elite environment. This transition resulted in changes within the individuals habitus, field and capital. The study therefore contributes to a broader understanding of both the dropout process and the factors behind it, emphasizing that dropout is a complex phenomenon that should be analyzed from a holistic perspective. The findings indicate that future research and efforts should focus on how sports clubs and federations can prevent dropouts and provide greater support following elite sport careers in order to promote a more sustainable Swedish Sports movement at both grassroots and elite and elite sport.