Academic Career Assistance Services for Student-Athletes in South Tyrol: A Study Protocol

Career assistance programmes for student-athletes have seen increasing interest in Europe in the last decade, with beneficial impacts on athletes' sporting and academic careers, future employments, and personal lives. This research topic is rooted in the literature on dual career (DC) and career transitions and focuses on the fact that professional and semi-professional athletes face relevant stressors when transitioning from junior to senior competitive categories and from high school to university. Failures in these transitions often correspond in dropping out from sport or studies, but this can be prevented by adequate supporting services for student-athletes. The present paper outlines the protocol for a PhD research project aiming at enhancing or implementing academic career assistance services in South Tyrol. The project will be based on a mixed-method study design, consisting of: (Study 1) literature review, examination of national and international guidelines and of existing DC programmes, census of student-athletes enrolled at the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano (UniBz); (Study 2) investigation through quantitative and qualitative methods to examine the links between student-athletes' identities, their well-being, and their academic and sporting performance; and (Study 3) evaluation of pros and cons of existing academic career assistance services at UniBz, that will be discussed within focus groups including student-athletes, coaches, scholars and other academic staff and stakeholders. Results from this project will inform the enhancement of existing services, with specific regard to student-athletes' careers.