THE CONCEPT OF DUAL CAREER

Abstract

The interest in issues related to the dual career of students or employees who are also athletes is increasingly significant in Europe. When we talk about a dual career, it refers to an individual who is an athlete and has another career at the same time. On the one hand, there is their role as an athlete, which relates to the sport in which they compete. On the other hand, there is their academic or professional career. A dual career refers to the integration and balancing of an athletic profession with education and/or work. (Geraniosova & Ronkainen, 2015). Support provision across sports and nations remains inconsistent, despite increased awareness and acceptance of the importance of dual career support for athletes (Ryba et al., 2020). It can be difficult for an athlete to continue their education while participating in high-performance sports. We are aware that the demands for athletic performance in elite sports are increasing in the modern era. Athletes can experience extreme pressure as a result, often having to decide between achieving their full athletic potential and earning a respectable degree for their post-athletic careers (Lavallee & Wylleman, 2000)1. Since the athlete and the student/employee follow two parallel training paths and involve different professionals who teach the athlete at the same time, in this study we will show through theoretical considerations based on the analysis of the scientific literature and through practical experiences based on a concrete example with the Macedonian women's football team. representation, that the dual career is a field of research in development and has a multidisciplinary character. For the purposes of this research, an anonymous questionnaire containing 20 questions was prepared and answered by the Macedonian women's national football team. The obtained results will be extensively presented in the following text. Considering the fact that the Macedonian national teams do not have professional contracts with the Football Federation of S. Macedonia (with the exception of a few who play outside of the country), and most of them are studying or working, we have drawn conclusions according to which you can see the current situation and how female soccer players manage their dual careers. The holistic approach of this study aims to present the dual careers of athletes and emphasize the necessary support of both, their athletic and non-athletic lives in a balanced and interconnected manner. This approach recognizes that an athlete is not only defined by their sporting performance but also by their personal development, academic or professional ambitions, social relationships, and mental well-being. A holistic approach values the athlete's overall well-being, seeing them as a whole, multi-faceted person, not just a performer.