A look at reconciliation through sportswomen

Abstract

Generated by other research as well as everyday evidence in the media, the aim of this study was to see how athletes, on the whole, reconcile their sport careers with psychological, psychosocial, academic and vocational levels, by analysing the resources and barriers they share as en- couraging and limiting points of reconciliation. The study included 23 women athletes, coming from both individual and team sports, some of them looking forward, some looking back, some Olympic sports and others non-Olympic. For data collection we used a semi-structured interview and the content analysis was carried out by combining the inductive and deductive approaches. The results are presented in two sections: resources and barriers, which in turn are classified as internal or external, depending on the control the athlete may have on them. Through their stories, some constants emerge, such as the need for balance between their different arenas; similar social agents that serve to boost their career; and the lack of resources or access to resources at certain stages at which they are needed.