Abstract
Balancing competitive sport and post-athletic career development is an inherently challenging endeavour for European athletes. In response, numerous countries and sport federations have developed dual career support policies and programmes. These programmes have principally focused on connecting athletes with education or employment opportunities or developing more general life skills. There has also been a growing focus on entrepreneurship’s potential as a dual career pathway. University and advocacy work has called for the integration of entrepreneurship, and many pan-European projects have emerged on the topic. Nonetheless, entrepreneurship is mostly absent from dual career policies and programmes. This absence is especially notable given the potential of entrepreneurship as both an economic driver and a viable pathway for athletes. Using extensive findings generated from the SENTA project, this chapter, therefore, argues for the relevance of entrepreneurship within the context of athlete dual careers. In particular, we highlight how athletes may be uniquely well-positioned to thrive as entrepreneurs and how entrepreneurship can actively contribute to economic growth. Correspondingly, we suggest numerous solutions to better recognise and integrate entrepreneurship with dual career programmes, ranging from educational offers to post-career support. Finally, we conclude by proposing future avenues for research and discussion around this topic.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ansari, P., Khoo, S., & Ismail, M. N. (2020). Designing and developing a sport entrepreneurship course: An educational design-based study. Entrepreneurship Education, 3(4), 411–432. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41959-020-00040-6
Aquilina, D., & Henry, I. (2010). Elite athletes and university education in Europe: A review of policy and practice in higher education in the European Union Member States. International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics, 2(1), 25–47. https://doi.org/10.1080/19406941003634024
Asociación Deportes Olímpicos. (2021). Homepage. https://ado.es
Borggrefe, C., & Cachay, K. (2012). “Dual careers”: The structural coupling of elite sport and school exemplified by the German Verbundsysteme. European Journal for Sport and Society, 9(1–2), 57–80. https://doi.org/10.1080/16138171.2012.11687889
Bosma, N., Content, J., Sanders, M., & Stam, E. (2018). Institutions, entrepreneurship, and economic growth in Europe. Small Business Economics, 51(2), 483–499. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11187-018-0012-x
Bosma, N., Hill, S., Ionescu-Somers, A., Kelley, D., Levie, J., & Tarnawa, A. (2020). Global entrepreneurship monitor. Global Entrepreneurship Research Association.
Breuer, C., & Wicker, P. (2010, 7 February). Brüchiges Fundament: Deutschlands Spitzenathleten verdienen weniger als der Durchschnitt der deutschen Bevölkerung. Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung.
B-WISER. (2018). Erasmus+ Sport project: “Be a Winner In elite Sport and Employment before and after athletic Retirement”. http://www.vub.ac.be/topsport/b-wise
Capella-Peris, C., Gil-Gómez, J., Martí-Puig, M., & Ruíz-Bernardo, P. (2020). Development and validation of a scale to assess social entrepreneurship competency in higher education. Journal of Social Entrepreneurship, 11(1), 23–39. https://doi.org/10.1080/19420676.2018.1545686
Daley, J. (2012). Why more pro athletes are scoring franchises after sports fame. www.entrepreneur.com/article/22267
Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund. (2013). Zehn-Punkte-Programm des DOSB zur Dualen Karriere.
EU Athletes. (2015). Improving dual career for players.
European Commission. (2012). EU guidelines on dual careers of athletes.
Eurostat. (2019). Self-employed persons. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/-/EDN-20190430-1
Eurostat. (2020). Euro area unemployment at 7.8%. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/2995521/11156668/3-30072020-AP-EN.pdf/1b69a5ae-35d2-0460-f76f-12ce7f6c34be
FH Joanneum University of Applied Sciences. (2017). AtLETyC—Athletes learning entrepreneurship. https://www.fh-joanneum.at/en/projekt/atletyc-athletes-learning-entrepreneurship/
Furim Institut. (2019). SENTA | athletes become social entrepreneurs. https://www.dualcareer.net
Geraniosova, K., & Ronkainen, N. (2015). The experience of dual career through Slovak athletes’ eyes. Physical Culture and Sport, 61, 53–64.
Hakkers, S. (2019). How can sport clubs support a talent’s dual career? Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences.
Hoppenfeld, J., Wyckoff, T., Henson, J. A. J., Mayotte, J. N., & Kirkwood, H. P. (2013). Librarians and the entrepreneurship Bootcamp for veterans: Helping disabled veterans with business research. Journal of Business & Finance Librarianship, 18(4), 293–308. https://doi.org/10.1080/08963568.2013.825227
Hottenrott, K., & Braumann, K.-M. (2015). Aktuelle Situation im deutschen Spitzensport. Sportwissenschaft, 45(3), 111–115. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12662-015-0372-1
Humphreys, C. (2011). Who cares where I play? Linking reputation with the golfing capital and the implication for golf destinations. Journal of Sport & Tourism, 16(2), 105–128. https://doi.org/10.1080/14775085.2011.568086
Kenny, B. (2015). Meeting the entrepreneurial learning needs of professional athletes in career transition. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 21(2), 175–196. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEBR-07-2013-0113
Koning, R. (2016). Field experiments in networks, innovation and entrepreneurship: Evidence from a startup bootcamp [Doctoral Dissertation]. Stanford University.
Kuettel, A., Christensen, M. K., Zysko, J., & Hansen, J. (2020). A cross-cultural comparison of dual career environments for elite athletes in Switzerland, Denmark, and Poland. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 18(4), 454–471. https://doi.org/10.1080/1612197X.2018.1553889
Li, M., & Sum, R. K. W. (2017). A meta-synthesis of elite athletes’ experiences in dual career development. Asia Pacific Journal of Sport and Social Science, 19(46), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/21640599.2017.1317481
López de Subijana, C., Mascaró Ruiz, F., & Conde Pascual, E. (2014). Los servicios de asesoramiento a los Deportistas de Élite en las Universidades Españolas. Revista Kronos, 13(2).
Lorenzo Fernández, M., & Bueno Moreno, M. R. (2012). Recursos disponibles para la inserción sociolaboral tras la retirada deportiva de futbolistas. Revista de Psicología del Deporte, 21(1), 189–194.
Matsangos, N., Gargalianos, D., Coppola, S., Vastola, R., & Petromilli, A. (2020). Investigation of skills acquired by athletes during their sporting career. Journal of Human Sport and Exercise, 15(3). https://doi.org/10.14198/jhse.2020.153.02
Morris, R., Cartigny, E., Ryba, T. V., Wylleman, P., Henriksen, K., Torregrossa, M., Lindahl, K., & Erpič, S. C. (2021). A taxonomy of dual career development environments in European countries. European Sport Management Quarterly, 21(1), 134–151. https://doi.org/10.1080/16184742.2020.1725778
Moustakas, L., & Kalina, L. (2021). Sport and social entrepreneurship in Germany: exploring athlete perspectives on an emerging field. World Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development (ahead-of-print). https://doi.org/10.1108/WJEMSD-06-2020-0069.
Nauright, J., & Wiggins, D. K. (2020). Sports entrepreneurs and the shaping of the SportsWorld. Sport in Society, 1–3. https://doi.org/10.1080/17430437.2020.1777717
Pallarés, S., Azócar, F., Torregrosa, M., Selva, C., & Ramis, Y. (2011). Modelos de trayectoria deportiva en waterpolo y su implicación en la transición hacia una carrera profesional alternativa. (athletic career models in water polo and their involvement in the transition to an alternative career). Cultura, Ciencia y Deporte, 6(17), 93–103. https://doi.org/10.12800/ccd.v6i17.36
Ratten, V. (2015). Athletes as entrepreneurs: The role of social capital and leadership ability. International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 25(4), 442. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJESB.2015.070217
Ratten, V. (2018). Sport entrepreneurship: Developing and sustaining an entrepreneurial sports culture. Management for Professionals. Springer. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/gbv/detail.action?docID=5267531
Ratten, V., & Jones, P. (2018). Future research directions for sport education: Toward an entrepreneurial learning approach. Education + Training, 60(5), 490–499. https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-02-2018-0028
Reyes-Hernández, O., Rodríguez Tristán, J. L., López-Walle, J., Prats, A. N., Verdaguer, F. X. P., Vinas, J., Reyes, S., & García-Mas, A. (2021). El proyecto ERASMUS+ ELIT-in: “Integración de los deportistas de élite al mercado laboral” (the ERASMUS+ ELIT-in project: “Integration of elite athletes into the labour market”). Cultura, Ciencia Y Deporte, 16(47), 59–68. https://doi.org/10.12800/ccd.v16i47.1695
Sánchez-Pato, A., Brunton, J., Leiva-Arcas, A., Isidori, E., & Decelis, A. (2020). European sport leadership programme. Universidad Católica de Murcia.
Sánchez Pato, A., Isıdori, E., Calderón, A., & Brunton, J. (2017). An innovative European sports tutorship model of the dual career of student-athletes: Handbook. Universidad Católica de Murcia.
Shaheen, G. E. (2016). “Inclusive entrepreneurship”: A process for improving self-employment for people with disabilities. Journal of Policy Practice, 15(1–2), 58–81. https://doi.org/10.1080/15588742.2016.1109963
Stambulova, N. B., & Ryba, T. V. (2014). A critical review of career research and assistance through the cultural lens: Towards cultural praxis of athletes' careers. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 7(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/1750984X.2013.851727
Steinbrink, K. M., Berger, E. S., & Kuckertz, A. (2020). Top athletes’ psychological characteristics and their potential for entrepreneurship. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 16(3), 859–878. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11365-019-00612-6
Tw1n. (2019). ATLAS—athletes as entrepreneurs. https://www.tw1n.eu/atlas-athletes-as-entrepreneurs/
Vilanova, A., & Puig, N. (2013). Compaginar la carrera deportiva con la carrera académica para la futura inserción laboral: ¿una cuestión de estrategia. Revista de Psicología del Deporte, 22(1), 61–68.
Wertestiftung. (2021). Wir suchen das Sporthilfe Start Up des Jahres. www.wertestiftung.org/wir-suchen-das-sporthilfe-start-up-des-jahres
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Ethics declarations
This study was partially funded by the European Commission through an Erasmus+ Project Grant (603312-EPP-1-2018-1-NO-SPO-SCP). The funder did not influence the design, implementation, or interpretation of the study.
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Moustakas, L., Kalina, L., Sánchez-Pato, A., Conde, E., Ege, H. (2022). Entrepreneurship, Education, and Athletes: Entrepreneurship Within European Dual Career Programmes. In: Leitão, J., Ratten, V. (eds) Strategic Innovation. Contributions to Management Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-87112-3_6
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-87112-3_6
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-87111-6
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-87112-3
eBook Packages: Business and ManagementBusiness and Management (R0)