Degree Name
Master of Arts
Graduate Program
Sociology
Advisor
Dunn, Jennifer L.
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to examine the transition out of college sports for student-athletes who have graduated within the last 10 years from Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC). Through understanding the competitive, academic and social aspects of each these former athlete’s lives, there is a hope to understand how one’s social life experiences prepare them for their transition out of sport. Participants were selected for in-depth interviews through referrals from the SIUC athletic department (coaches, administration and staff) and from my own connections with former student-athletes. I found that all of the participants did experience some level of difficulty transitioning; however, the reasons why they experience difficulty vary. Also, the participants in this study were found to have transitioned at different times; not all began their transition following their last competition as a competitive athlete. Other themes appear that add value to this study as well.