Athlete Identity and Career Transition: Implications for Retirement Outcomes

Abstract

The construct of athlete identity was initially conceptualised by Brewer and colleagues. Athlete identity was understood as an individual's level of identification with the athlete role, and the Athlete Identity Measurement Scale (AIMS) was developed for the systematic study of identity. The extant literature has shown that athlete identity influences adjustment to retirement. Over the past decade, alongside growth of cultural praxis within sport psychology, an emerging body of athlete identity research has been undertaken within an interpretative paradigm. Early narrative research demonstrated that retirement marked a rupture in the life stories and narratives of athletes. Analysis of the Australian newsprint media has demonstrated that limited identity positions are available for athletes during their careers and into retirement, with athletes positioned such that choice around both playing and retiring is constrained. An examination of retired Olympians highlighted that athletes continued to be ascribed the identity of champion athlete years into retirement, with limited alternatives.