Finding the optimal balance: father-athlete challenges facing elite Nordic skiers.

Background: In the last decade, a growing body of research has focused on the many aspects and challenges of combining parenthood with elite sport. Although the number of father-athletes is significantly higher than the number of mother-athletes, few studies to date have focused on male athletes' experiences in a parenting context. Aim: The aims of the present study were to explore how father-athlete challenges manifest among elite Nordic skiers in Norway, and to better understand how male athletes balance their priorities as they initiate, maintain, and/or discontinue their athletic career as a father-athlete. Methods: Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 10 world-class male Nordic skiers in Norway (3 athletes without a child, 4 current father-athletes and 3 former father-athletes) and the content was analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Four main stages were identified in the father-athlete transition: (a) Expecting incompatibility (b) Taking the step, (c), The first blow, and (d) Finding the optimal balance. Through these stages the informants expected/had experienced challenges such as performance decline, disturbed sleeping patterns, fear of sickness and role conflicts. To manage these challenges, the father-athletes had developed various strategies to balance their dual roles (e.g., adapting training and competition seasons). Among the benefits, the father-athletes mentioned that they had become more structured, time efficient and ruthless with their priorities, enhanced motivation to train and a better work-life balance. Conclusion: This study offers valuable insights into father-athlete challenges that can be used to support career longevity and work-life balance among male athletes.

More than sport: A social-identity intervention to support transitions out of elite sport.

Elite athletes often make large personal sacrifices to pursue excellence, but there is insufficient support for them when they leave elite sport. Identity loss is central to athletes' transition trajectories and hence the management of identity change is a crucial area for support. The More Than Sport (MTS) program is a novel digital intervention that aims to provide this support-helping athletes manage identity change in the process of leaving elite sport. The present research aims to study elite athletes' experiences with the MTS program and their perceptions of its usefulness in managing the transition away from elite sport. We undertook a qualitative study with athletes (N = 25) from three countries (the United Kingdom, Australia and Belgium) using reflexive thematic analysis to explore their experiences of the program and their feedback on program content. We identified three key themes and eight subthemes. The first key theme was Value of the Program, and this was underpinned by four sub-themes that centred on Program importance and novelty, how Positive and confronting experiences afford insight, the Value of developing shared understanding, and Realising the value of social groups. The second key theme was Engagement with Program Elements and here participants commented on Program content and Delivery format. The final key theme was Time and Place for Identity Management Programs which included the sub-themes of Optimal timing and Additional program beneficiaries. Overall, the results highlight the value of MTS specifically, and identity management efforts more broadly, to help elite athletes adjust successfully to life beyond sport.

Understanding South Korean women workers' career transition experiences: using the career decision tree model.

Introduction: Relatively little research has explored non-Western women workers and their career transitions within their unique cultural contexts. Thus, more context-sensitive approaches to women's career trajectories are needed. Methods: Based on Bian and Wang's Career Decision Tree Model (2019) as a conceptual framework, the reasons for South Korean women workers' career transitions and influencing factors were explored using a qualitative approach with in-depth interviews with 35 South Korean women workers at various career stages. Results and Discussion: Their main motive of career transitions was difficulty maintaining their physical and mental health, which stemmed from their demanding work life. A typical issue, the burden of child rearing and family responsibilities, was also reported, but it was not the primary reason for their career transitions. Instead, the women workers often mentioned these responsibilities along with other reasons. Other reasons were unresolved career interests and expectations associated with their lack of career goals and preparation prior to joining the labor market. These factors led to significant changes in women's values and priorities along their career path, which finally triggered a decision to make a career transition. South Korean socio-cultural characteristics embedded in the South Korean women's personal and organizational lives provide insights on how to interpret the findings. Although on the surface some of our findings appeared to confirm previous studies on women's career transitions in Western-based literature, noteworthy differences were discovered when delving deeper into women's career transitions in the South Korean context.

Barriers to disengagement from an athletic career: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis with retired elite-level female footballers / Barreras que conducen a la desvinculación en la trayetória deportiva: un análisis fenomenológico interpretativo con futbolistas de élite retiradas / Obstáculos ao desinvestimento na carreira atlética: Uma análise fenomenológica interpretativa com ex-jogadoras de futebol de elite

En el contexto de la práctica deportiva, tan pronto como se pasa el período ideal para alcanzar ciertasmetas y la inversión en una meta ya no es alcanzable, la desinversión en una determinada meta bloqueada y la reinversión en metas alternativas contribuirán a un desarrollo adaptativo, como argumentan las teorías de autorregulación. El objetivo del presente estudio fue explorar las barreras experimentadas por cuatro ex jugadoras de fútbol de élite durante su período de adaptación a largo plazo. Eneste sentido, el presente estudio se desarrolló de acuerdo con los principios del análisis fenomenológico interpretativo. Los resultados sugieren que los ex deportistas tuvieron dificultades para desprenderse de sus objetivos profesionales durante la transición a la retirada del deporte, habiendo enumerado cuatro razones: i) elmiedo a ser olvidados; ii) el intentode crear un vínculo para una futura implicación como futuras entrenadoras; iii) la creencia de que como practicantes disfrutan de un rol muy gratificante; iv) la presión social para seguir practicando a un nivel deportivo de élite. Estos resultados muestran que con el acercamiento de la edad de retiro, las atletas pueden beneficiarse de intervenciones psicológicas que ayuden a esta transición de carrera.(AU)

Once the optimal age for achieving certain goals has passed and the investmentin a goal is no longer possible, self-regulation theories claim that disengagement from the goal and re-engagement in alternative goals will contribute to adaptive development. The present study explored the barriers experienced by four retired female elite-level footballers when adapting to retirement in the long term. To achieve this, the study was designed according to the principles of InterpretativePhenomenological Analysis. Our findings suggest that the ex-athletes found it difficult to disengage from their career goals during their transitions out of elite sport and listed four main reasons for this: i) the fear of being forgotten; ii) the attempt to create a link for future involvement as future coaches; iii) the belief that as practitioners they enjoy a very rewarding role in terms of achievement; iv) the social pressure to continue practicing at an elite sporting level. These findings suggest athletes approaching retirement might benefit from support interventions to help prevent distress and to promote well-being during their transitions out of elite sport. Therefore, clubs and federations should encourage and foster the development of adequate career transition programs, to achieve a fairer environment and a better quality of life for the players.(AU)

No contexto da prática desportiva, assim que o período ideal para que os praticantes alcancem determinadas metas é ultrapassado e o investimento em um objetivo já não é passível de ser alcançado, o desinvestimento em determinado objetivo bloqueado e o reinvestimento em objetivos alternativos poderá contribuir para um desenvolvimento adaptativo, conforme sustentam as teorias da autorregulação. O presente estudo teve como propósito explorar as principais barreiras experienciadas por quatro ex-atletas de futebol de elite durante o seu período de adaptação a longo prazo. Para tal recorreu-se aos princípios da análise fenomenológica interpretativa. Os resultados sugerem que as ex-atletas apresentaram dificuldades em desinvestir dos objetivos de carreira durante a transição para a reforma da prática desportiva, tendo para tal elencado quatrorazões principais: i) o medo de serem esquecidas; ii) a tentativa de criarem uma ligação para um futuro envolvimento enquanto futuras treinadoras; iii) a crença de que enquanto praticantes usufruem de umpapel deveras gratificante em termos de realização;iv) a pressão social para continuarem a praticar ao nível do desporto de elite. Os resultados encontrados sugerem que, com a aproximação da idade da reforma, as atletas podem beneficiar de intervenções psicológicas que facilitem a transição de carreira e previnam elevados níveis de stresse, promovendo-se o bem-estar durante a respetiva transição. Deste modo, afigura-se recomendável que tanto clubes como federações encorajem e fomentem o desenvolvimento deprogramas adequados de transição de carreira, em nome de um mais justo enquadramento e de uma melhor qualidade de vida dos praticantes desportivos.(AU)

Career life as a game: an overlooked metaphor for successful career transitions.

Meeting the psychological, social, and economic challenges of career transitions requires people to be increasingly flexible and hardy. In this article, we propose that envisioning one's life as a game can foster well-being, coping strategies, and success with career transitions. The SuperBetter approach (McGonigal, 2015. Superbetter: A revolutionary approach to getting stronger, happier, braver and more resilient. Penguin) is presented as a metaphor that can provide clients with a new perspective for their lives and career narratives. The way each component of this metaphor can contribute to individuals' well-being, motivation and success throughout career transitions is detailed. Implications for practice and research are discussed.

Excellence fulfilled? On the unique developmental needs of professional athletes.

While the term "athlete development" has been used to capture the changes (physical, psychological, etc.) that occur as an athlete moves from initial sport engagement to elite performance, much of the research in this area has focused on earlier stages of the pathway, with very little work examining the highest levels of sport. Considering a person's bio-psycho-social development continues through adulthood, the limited attention to development for athletes at higher competitive levels is perhaps surprising. In this short article, we highlight several notable discrepancies between different competitive levels (e.g., pre-professional sport and professional sport) in the way development is conceptualized, contextualized, and operationalized. We use available evidence to provide guidance for researchers and practitioners to encourage the delivery of structured developmental programming in professional sport systems to aid with the transitionary period between pre-elite and elite levels, and to help foster career longevity.

The transition phase: preparing to launch a laboratory.

The process of starting a laboratory varies between institutions. However, there are universal tasks all investigators will need to address when launching their laboratories. In this piece, we provide a brief summary of considerations for incoming group leaders to centralize this information for the scientific community.

Paediatric anaesthesiology education: simulation-based 'attending boot camp' for fellows shows feasibility and value in the early years of attendings' careers.

Background: Established simulation-based 'boot camps' utilise adult learning theory to engage and teach technical and non-technical skills to medical graduates transitioning into residency or fellowship. However, the transition from trainee to the attending role has not been well studied. The primary aim of this study was to design and execute a simulation-based educational day, exposing senior trainees in paediatric anaesthesia to commonly encountered challenges and teaching critical technical skills relevant to their new role. Secondary aims included assessment of its value and relevance in early years of graduated fellows' new careers as attendings. Methods: An 'attending boot camp' day comprised the following: two crisis simulations, an otolaryngologist-taught cadaver cricothyroidotomy laboratory, and a difficult conversations workshop. There was a debriefing after each section. Data were collected using end-of-day and early-career e-mail surveys for five consecutive fellow cohorts from 2016 to 2020. Results: Forty fellows participated; overall feedback was positive. The end-of-day surveys revealed planned changes in practice for 89% (25/28) of fellows, and 54% (15/28) highlighted communication skills as 'most beneficial'. Early-career follow-up surveys found 96% (23/24) identified increased confidence in skill acquisition because of the day; 79% (19/24) experienced scenarios in real life similar to those simulated. The qualitative analysis revealed four high-value themes: delegation, leadership, clinical skills, and difficult communication. Conclusions: The transition from senior trainee to attending physician remains under-researched. A tailored simulation-based 'attending boot camp' was feasible and valued and may be useful in bridging this transition. Participants identified leadership practice, life-saving technical skills, and difficult communication practice as valuable and relevant in their early careers.

Risk Intelligence as a Resource in Career Transition: The Role of College Satisfaction on the Visions about Future Jobs.

(1) Background: University transition is a critical step in career construction due to the uncertainty and unpredictability of socioeconomic conditions; these conditions compel people to manage a greater quantity of perceived risks associated with their career projects than in the past, and to face unexpected situations that could compromise their quality of life in educational and work contexts. After all, experiencing well-being during the university path can undoubtedly affect the visions of one's future work, especially when a transition period is nearby. The present study aimed to explore the role of subjective risk intelligence in expectations about future work, analyzing the potential mediational role of academic satisfaction in this relationship. (2) Methods: A longitudinal study was carried out on 352 Italian university students at the end of the degree course. We used the following measures: in T1, Subjective risk intelligence scale, College Satisfaction scale; in T2, three items assessing the expectations about future work. (3) Results: The main findings showed that subjective risk intelligence has both direct and indirect effects (through the mediation of college satisfaction) on the expectations about future work. (4) Conclusions: The ability to manage risks, also through the contribution of domain-specific satisfaction, can lead to positive expectations toward one's future work. This could increase the likelihood to perform career-related behaviors in a more proactive way if people have high risk management skills and high levels of academic satisfaction with their university path during transition.

Taking ownership of your career: professional development through experiential learning.

Experiential learning can facilitate the development of transferrable skills necessary for success in attaining tenure and promotion in academia. In this article, we discuss the benefits of designing and implementing an individualized professional development experience or practicum. By doing this, we describe the experiential learning component of the Accomplishing Career Transitions (ACT) Program of the American Society for Cell Biology. The ACT program aims to assist postdoctoral trainees and junior faculty from backgrounds underrepresented in STEM as they strive to transition into tenure-track positions and ultimately attain tenure at research-intensive or teaching-intensive academic institutions.

Accomplishing Career Transitions 2019: facilitating success towards the professoriate.

The Minorities Affairs Committee of the American Society for Cell Biology through its Accomplishing Career Transitions (ACT) program aims to ease critical transitions for postdocs and junior faculty from underrepresented backgrounds in STEM or from minority-serving institutions as they work towards promotion and tenure at a wide range of academic institutions. The ACT program is a 2-year cohort-based professional and skills development program that kicks off with a summer workshop and continues with additional online training sessions on selected topics, forging the creation of a permanent mentoring community for the participants. In this BMC Proceedings Supplement, we highlight selected content from the first ACT summer workshop held in 2019 at the Rizzo Center in Chapel Hill, NC. The goal of this BMC Proceedings Supplement is to amplify impact of ACT programming in a way that transcends the ACT Fellow community to benefit an increased number of scientists.

"Maybe I'm just not good enough?": British swimmers' experiences of attempting to qualify for the Olympic Games.

The purpose of this study was to explore the transitional experiences of British swimmers as they attempted to qualify for the Olympic Games and gain a place in the British Swimming World Class Performance Programme. An interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) approach was adopted (Smith JA. Psychol Health 1996;11:261-271). Six swimmers (aged 20-25 years), one of each of their parents, and four coaches completed interviews leading up to and following Olympic trials over an eight-month period. Audio recordings were transcribed verbatim and analyzed following the guidelines set out by Smith and Osborne (Smith JA, Osborn M. Qualitative psychology: A practical guide to research methods. London: Sage; 2003:51-80). Results indicated that athletes' transition experiences were characterized by a range of demands, which were categorized into five higher-order themes (a) Questioning "Am I good enough?"; (b) Managing and fulfilling expectations; (c) Operating within an environment that is working against them; (d) Lacking support and understanding of self and demands; and (e) Maintaining balance versus being an international swimmer. Overall, the results indicate that this attempted transition is complex, challenging, and unique and largely influenced by self-confidence. Addressing the individual factors impacting on athletes' self-confidence appears critical to enhancing swimmers' transitional experiences at the highest level.

Inventário de Crenças de Carreira e Empregabilidade / Career and Employability Beliefs Inventory / Inventario de Creencias de Carrera y Empleabilidad

O presente trabalho reporta o desenvolvimento do Inventário de Crenças de Carreira e Empregabilidade que permite avaliar crenças facilitadoras de comportamentos e atitudes adaptativos dos indivíduos face a transições de carreira. O ICEB tem 38 itens e seis escalas: Esforço/Realização, Proatividade/Iniciativa, Flexibilidade/Abertura às mudanças, Aceitação de desafios/Riscos, Otimismo e Autonomia. São apresentadas as etapas de construção e os dados referentes às características psicométricas do instrumento, com uma amostra de 395 estudantes, 206 do sexo masculino e 189 do sexo feminino, entre os 18 e os 26 anos com média etária de 21,21 anos. Os índices de consistência interna e os indicadores de validade são satisfatórios, posicionando o ICEB como um instrumento promissor, podendo fundamentar intervenções vocacionais que visem facilitar transições na carreira.(AU)

The present study reports the development of the Career and Employability Beliefs Inventory (Inventário de Crenças de Carreira e Empregabilidade - ICEB), which aims to evaluate beliefs that may correspond to the adaptive behaviors and attitudes of individuals facing career transitions. The ICEB has 38 items and 6 scales: Striving/Achievement, Proactivity/Initiative, Flexibility/Openness to change, Acceptance of challenges/Risks, Optimism, and Autonomy. We present the construction phases and report data regarding the psychometric characteristics of the instrument, studied with a sample of 395 students, 206 male and 189 female, with a mean age of 21.21 years. The internal consistency and validity indicators were satisfactory, presenting the ICEB as a promising instrument that supports the planning of vocational interventions aimed at facilitating career transitions.(AU)

El presente trabajo reporta el desarrollo del Inventario de Creencias de Carrera y Empleabilidad (ICEB) que permite evaluar creencias facilitadoras que puedan corresponder a conductas y actitudes adaptativas de los individuos frente a transiciones de carrera. El ICEB dispone de 38 ítems y 6 escalas: Esfuerzo/Realización, Proactividad /Iniciativa, Flexibilidad/Apertura a los cambios, Aceptación de retos/Riesgos, Optimismo y Autonomía. Son presentadas las etapas de construcción y los datos referentes a las características psicométricas del instrumento, estudiado con una muestra de 395 estudiantes, 206 del sexo masculino y 189 del sexo femenino, con una media de edad de 21,21 años. Los índices de consistencia interna y los indicadores de validez son satisfactorios, posicionando al ICEB como un instrumento promisorio, pudiendo fundamentar intervenciones vocacionales que busquen facilitar transiciones en la carrera.(AU)

No more lock-step retirement: Boomers' shifting meanings of work and retirement.

Standard pathways for work and retirement are being transformed as the large Boomer cohort moves through typical retirement ages during a moment of economic, social and political change. People are delaying retirement and moving into and out of paid work as the standard lock-step retirement becomes less dominant. However, little research has explored how and why Boomers are taking on these diverse pathways in their later careers. Accordingly, we conduct in-depth interviews with working and retired white-collar Boomers, exploring how they are working and the meanings and motivations for their decisions and plans in their later careers. We find that there is no single dominant pattern for retirement, but rather a diverse mix of pathways shaped by occupational identities, finances, health and perceptions of retirement. Boomers express a desire to have control over their time and to find meaning and purpose in either paid or unpaid activities. However, life course transitions, normative cultural scripts, and gender and class locations as well as workplace and social policies constrain their decisions and plans.

Returning inactive obstetrics and gynecology physicians to clinical practice: the Drexel experience.

INTRODUCTION: Physicians returning to clinical practice after inactivity may face many challenges. Few programs provide reeducation, and data are limited about these experiences. We describe the physician refresher/reentry program at Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, and the lessons learned in our efforts to facilitate obstetrician-gynecologists' clinical reentry. METHODS: In 2006, Drexel relaunched the Medical College of Pennsylvania's physician reentry course. This structured yet individualized program provides reeducation and assessment for physicians who have left clinical medicine for any reason and are hoping to return. We report the results achieved for 9 obstetrician-gynecologists who successfully completed Drexel's course between November 2006 and November 2012. RESULTS: The 6 men and 3 women had left their practices for different reasons. Seven were reentry candidates, and 2 were remediating; none had left practice for medical negligence. Of the reentering physicians, 5 achieved their goal within 1 month. Of the remediating physicians, 1 achieved his/her goal. DISCUSSION: Through continual self-assessment and participant feedback, we have learned to expand our staff and faculty career advisory roles and seek specialty-specific assessment. Despite our small sample size, Drexel's experience may provide guidance to the growing field of obstetrician/gynecologist reentry in the United States.

Targeted needs assessment for a transitional "boot camp" curriculum for pediatric surgery residents.

INTRODUCTION: Transition periods in medical education are associated with increased risk for learners and patients. For pediatric surgery residents, the transition to training is especially difficult as learners must adjust to new patient populations. In this study we perform a targeted needs assessment to determine the ideal content and format of a pediatric surgery boot camp to facilitate the transition to residency. METHODS: A needs assessment survey was developed and distributed to pediatric surgery residents and staff across North America. The survey asked participants to rank 30 pediatric surgical diagnoses, 20 skills, and 11 physiological topics on "frequency" and "importance". Items were then ranked using empirical methods. The survey also evaluated the preferred boot camp format. RESULTS: In total, 12 residents and 23 staff completed the survey. No significant differences were identified between staff and residents in survey responses. The top 5 topics identified for inclusion in a boot camp were: (1) fluid and electrolyte management, (2) appendicitis, (3) pediatric hernias, (4) nutrition and (5) pain management. The preferred format for a boot camp was 3-4days in duration applying a blend of educational methods. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the results of the needs assessment survey, a novel pediatric surgery boot camp curriculum can be developed.

Facilitating physician reentry to practice: perceived effects of deployments on US army pediatricians' clinical and procedural skills.

INTRODUCTION: US Army pediatricians regularly deploy for 6 to 12 months or longer and many are deployed multiple times during their career. Prolonged breaks in pediatric clinical practice may result in skill degradation, requiring a physician reentry process to prepare pediatricians to return to clinical practice. This study sought to identify which specific pediatric clinical skills were felt to be most affected by deployment. METHODS: Army pediatricians on active duty between January 2012 and March 2012 were surveyed via e-mail to determine their comfort level and experience with clinical encounters and procedural skills prior to and after military deployment. RESULTS: Eighty-three pediatricians were eligible, and 75 responded (90% response rate). Of those received, 65 surveys (78%) were complete and included in the statistical analysis. Over half (54%) of the respondents were deployed longer than 6 months, and 32% were deployed for 12 months or longer. The largest changes in reported comfort were seen in neonatal, pediatric, and adolescent acute care and neonatal routine care, including neonatal and pediatric procedures. There was a significant negative correlation (r = .64; p = .003) between provider's reported exposure to neonatal and pediatric clinical encounters during deployment and provider's comfort with those clinical encounters after deployment. DISCUSSION: US Army pediatricians are required to deploy for extended periods of time and have limited opportunities to practice the full range of their pediatric skills. This break in clinical practice is associated with a significant decline in perceived comfort with both routine and acute pediatric care.