Subjective well-being of current and former elite athletes in the German armed forces.

Introduction: The German military's sports promotion group (SPG) is an entity that aims to minimize the risks inherent in elite sports careers. Risks that manifest themselves, for example, in a lack of financial resources or failed dual careers could undermine the subjective well-being (SWB) of athletes, which can have a negative impact on athletic performance. A differentiated understanding of factors that influence SWB is therefore necessary. Methods: Within the scope of a survey, a sample of n = 414 current and n = 298 former sports soldiers was generated. Linear regression models (blockwise) were used to analyze the influence of the SPG framework conditions, the influence of top sport-specific factors, and the influence of socio-demographic/socio-economic factors on the SWB of current and former sport soldiers. Results: Current and former sports soldiers showed high satisfaction scores and were also optimistic about the future. Among current sports soldiers, men had higher SWB values. In addition, satisfaction with SPG services, satisfaction with their athletic careers, and satisfaction with their current income all influenced the athletes' SWB. Among former sports soldiers, persons in a stable partnership had higher SWB values. Furthermore, satisfaction with SPG services, a career end that was perceived as involuntary and satisfaction with current income were relevant for SWB in this cohort. Discussion: This study addresses the call for a more athlete-centered approach in sports science research and the findings have several implications for organized sports to promote SWB in elite athletes.

Soccer above all? Analysis of academic and vocational education among female soccer players in the German women's Bundesliga and 2nd women's Bundesliga.

Introduction: Career-related (financial) reasons as well as advantages in terms of expanding social support systems, promoting a balanced lifestyle and personal development suggest that female soccer players should pursue academic or vocational education in parallel to elite sport. However, dual careers are fraught with challenges, mainly due to simultaneity in time and the associated conflicting goals. The aim of this article is to analyze the vocational or academic educational careers of professional female soccer players. Methods: To generate the data, an online survey was conducted among soccer players in the German Women's Bundesliga and 2nd Women's Bundesliga. A total of n = 200 questionnaires (German: n = 191; English: n = 9) were included in the analysis, which corresponds to approx. 29.6% of the population addressed. Results: 90.6% of the players are pursuing or have already completed academic or vocational education. The majority (71.2%) of female soccer players choose to study. 81.8% of players report no impact or even a positive impact of soccer on their performance in academic or vocational education. Willingness to pursue and complete academic or vocational education is influenced by membership of the A-National Team, time spent playing soccer, form of school-leaving qualification, nationality and age. Discussion: This study increases the visibility of professional women's soccer as an object of analysis in sports science research, follows up on demands for a more athlete-centered approach and generates further insights for research and practice with regard to the success of dual careers in elite sport.