Dual Careers of Athletes During COVID-19 Lockdown

Frontiers in Psychology

Juan Alfonso García-Roca¹  Alejandro Leiva-Arcas¹  Francisco José Cánovas-Alvarez¹  Lourdes Meroño¹  Antonio Sánchez-Pato¹  Barbara Ghinassi²  Angela Di Baldassarre²  Pascal Izzicupo²  Mojca Doupona³  Laura Capranica⁴  Oana-Mihaela Rusu⁵  Cristian-Mihail Rus⁵  Liliana-Elisabeta Radu⁵  Raquel Vaquero-Cristóbal⁶  Vasco Vaz⁷  António J. Figueiredo⁷  Hugo Sarmento⁷  Anda Paegle⁸  Ugis Bisenieks⁸  Janis Stonis⁸  Ilvis Abelkalns⁸ 

[1] Areté Research Group, Faculty of Sport, Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia, Murcia, Spain;Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, University “G. D'Annunzio” of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy;Department of Sport Sociology and History, Faculty of Sports, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia;European Athlete as Student Network, Ghaxaq, Malta;European Athlete as Student Network, Ghaxaq, Malta;Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome Foro Italico, Rome, Italy;Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, University “Alexandru Ioan Cuza”, Iaşi, Romania;Injury Prevention in Sport Research Group, Faculty of Sport, Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia, Murcia, Spain;Research Unit for Sport and Physical Activity, Faculty of Sport Sciences and Physical Education, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal;University of Latvia, Riga, Latvia;

关键词: dual-career athletes;    student-athlete;    COVID-19;    lockdown;    active lifestyle;    academic commitment;    sport commitment;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpsyg.2021.657671

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

This study aimed to investigate the student-athletes' capability to face the academic, sport, and social challenges during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown and to disclose novel aspects of dual careers. A 32-item online survey encompassing demographic characteristics, sport and university engagement, support and dual-career benefits, physical activity, sitting time, and the time deemed necessary to recover the previous level of performance was developed. Four hundred sixty-seven student-athletes (males: 57%, females: 43%) from 11 countries, competing in 49 different sports (individual: 63.4%, team: 36.6%) at regional (17.5%), national (43.3%), and international (39.2%) levels, and enrolled at high school (21.9%) and university (78.1%) levels completed the survey. During the lockdown, the respondents decreased the time dedicated to sport and academics, although they maintained an active lifestyle. Student-athletes from countries under severe contagion were more likely to train at home, dedicate to academics, and receive support from the coach but less likely receive support from their teachers. With respect to their team sport counterparts, athletes competing in individual sports trained more and were more likely to receive support from their coaches. International athletes showed the highest training time and support from their coaches and as student-athletes. High school students received more support from their coaches and teachers, whereas university students were more likely considering dual careers useful to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. This study substantiates the relevant role of competitive sports participation in the maintenance of active lifestyles, with student-athletes considering home training and e-learning valuable resources during the lockdown. Furthermore, their sport and academic commitments helped student-athletes cope with the emergency of the COVID-19 pandemic.

【 授权许可】

CC BY