The dual career of the student-athletes in Romania higher education system: a content analysis

This research aims to identify the needs and experiences of student-athletesfrom "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" University of Iași, Romania. Fifteen subjects, both students and high-performance athletes (at national and international levels, in both individual and team sports...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ioana-Alexandra Radu, Liliana-Elisabeta Radu, Oana Rusu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: ALTIUS ACADEMY Foundation - Faculty of Physical Education and Sports 2024-12-01
Series:Sport şi Societate
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.sportsisocietate.ro/articol/676
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:This research aims to identify the needs and experiences of student-athletesfrom "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" University of Iași, Romania. Fifteen subjects, both students and high-performance athletes (at national and international levels, in both individual and team sports), aged between 19 and 24, were divided into three groups based on their year of study (Group 1 -undergraduate, first year; Group 2 -undergraduate, second and third years; Group 3 -master's level), participated in a semi-structured focus group. A set of 15 structured questions formed the basis of the meeting, supplemented by additional questions depending on the responses. The results highlight how the target group perceives their roles as high-performance athletes and students, as well as the challenges and needs of a dual career. The year ofstudy variable influences the needs, allocated resources, action strategies, projection, and opportunities as a student and athlete. A series of solutions to improve the status of student-athletes were also identified, such as the appointment of a sports tutor by the faculty/university, legislative and administrative changes at both the institutional and national levels, measures to increase the visibility of sports achievements, and tools to facilitate professional training and achieving sports success. These results are relevant for the development of methodologies and materials for higher education to promote existing activities that can be used to support the dual career of athletes.
ISSN:1582-2168
2344-3693