Achieving Empowerment in Transition: Advice from Former Female Athletes

Scholars have highlighted the various challenges college athletes encounter in their transition from sport. Yet, the strategies athletes adopt to navigate this transitory period require further examination. Thus, we leveraged Zimmerman’s Psychological Empowerment Model and Schlossberg’s Transition Theory to explore these strategies and associated processes in-depth. The sample for this study consisted of 20 former female athletes from the U.S. who played a college sport. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews. Findings revealed numerous strategies current and future female college athletes implement to mitigate the challenges present in their transition, specifically: Finding Acceptance, Be Proactive, Don’t Stop 100%, Embrace the Rebuilding Process, and Leverage Social Supports. This work yields impactful implications including theoretical advances in understanding mechanisms of change, as well as practical advances for athletes and sport managers in calls for improved institutional support, and athletes’ active efforts to empower themselves in the absence of institutional support.