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British elite swimmers' experiences and perspectives on life skill development
1Faculty of Health Sciences and Sport, University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland, United Kingdom.
Frontiers in Psychology
|April 8, 2024
Summary
British elite swimmers develop crucial life skills implicitly through their athletic and educational journeys. Competitive swimming positively impacts personal development, offering valuable insights for athlete support.
Area of Science:
- Sport Psychology
- Sociology of Sport
- Athlete Development
Background:
- Elite athletes often balance demanding training schedules with education.
- Understanding the transfer of skills from sport to life is crucial for athlete well-being.
- Previous research has explored skill development in athletes, but less focus has been placed on implicit life skill acquisition in British elite swimmers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the experiences of British elite swimmers in developing life skills.
- To examine the factors influencing their perspectives on life skill development.
- To understand how athletic and educational experiences contribute to implicit life skill acquisition.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study involving six high-profile British swimmers (Commonwealth/Olympic Games competitors).
- Semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather in-depth insights.
- Thematic analysis was applied to identify key themes and sub-themes.
Main Results:
- Two primary themes emerged: Implicit life skill development and understanding swimming's influence on these skills.
- Sub-themes included establishing and prioritizing athletic identity, and navigating life skills through athletic challenges.
- Participants reported significant personal development and implicit life skill acquisition facilitated by their swimming careers and education.
Conclusions:
- Competitive swimming careers and associated identities foster a wide range of implicit life skills.
- Both sporting and educational experiences are vital in facilitating this personal growth.
- Findings offer valuable insights for supporting high-performance athletes' holistic development.
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