In this episode of the “Experts in Sport” podcast, host Martin Foster sits down with Paul Wylleman, clinical psychologist and professor at the University of Brussels, to discuss the transition from junior to senior level that athletes undergo as part of their career. 

Time Stamps:  

00:00 – 02:57 Introduction & career background information on our guest 

02:58 – 06:28 Overview of an athlete’s transition from junior to senior level 

06:29 – 13:16 How the Holistic Athlete Career model (HAC) was developed  

13:17 – 18:34 Detailing the diverse transition experiences of junior elite athletes 

18:35 – 25:17 The psychosocial impact of transitioning 

25:18 – 31:06 The athlete identity 

31:07 – 39:17 The importance and diversity of coach-athlete dynamics 

37:18 – 45:06 Athletes in higher education 

45:07 – 47:38 Preparing athletes for the transition (https://www.dualcareertools.com/) 

47:39 – 55:26 The financial and legal aspects of the HAC model 

55:27 – 59:34 Struggling vs. coping with the transition 

59:35 – 1:01:59 The future of this branch of research 

1:02:00 – 1:03:30 Episode recap and conclusion