Coping with Academy-to-First-Team Transitions in Elite English Male Team Sports: The Coaches' Perspective

Abstract

Perceptions of seven elite development coaches (M age = 45.47 years) were examined in relation to the academy-to-first-team career transitions: 1) The nature of these transitions; 2) Sources of strain for the athletes; 3) Coping strategies athletes used and were influenced to use; and 4) Uniquely, athletes' use of meaning-focused coping (MFC) strategies. This transition, which was specifically studied within football, rugby union, rugby league and cricket, is comparable to Bloom's development-to-perfection/mastery transitions, and similar transitional models described by Wylleman and Lavallee, and Stambulova. Coaches reported that this transition was potentially extremely demanding, with athletic and social sources of strain being problematic. Evidence suggested that meaning-focused coping was an important technique for successful transitions. Further, coaches also believed coping strategies closely resembling planful problem solving, acceptance of responsibility, self-control and positive-reappraisal strategies, to be beneficial to transition success, whilst strategies similar to distancing and escape avoidance coping could be detrimental.