“I can join a sport class, but school has to come first”: adolescent athletes’ dual career construction styles in lower secondary sport schools

In this longitudinal qualitative study, we explored the automatic and
controlled processes underpinning adolescent athletes’ dual career
(DC) construction styles in lower secondary school and how these
styles influenced the continuation of sports in upper secondary
education. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 16
Finnish adolescent lower secondary school DC athletes (nine
females, seven males) aged 14.5 years at baseline, interviewed
them one year later, and then analyzed the data using reflexive
thematic analysis based on dual-process theory. Most adolescent
athletes (11 of 16) constructed their DCs in Grade 8 (T1) using a
contrapuntal DC construction style, attempting to balance sports
and academic studies. Eleven adolescent athletes maintained their
DC styles, but five shifted their career styles between T1 and T2.
Exemplifying the dynamic and individual construction of their
DCs, seven adolescents had a contrapuntal style, three a dissonant
style, and six a monophonic style in Grade 9 (T2). Four of sixteen
continued their DCs in sports-oriented upper secondary
education, all of them exhibiting a contrapuntal style. The
remaining 12, representing all 3 styles, transitioned to general
upper secondary schools. Dual-process theory facilitated the
identification of specific automatic and controlled processes that
influenced decision-making among adolescents with different
career construction styles. This understanding can aid in tailoring
individual DC services to effectively support adolescents in
balancing their school and sports pursuits during lower secondary
school and assist them in transitioning to their preferred study
options in upper secondary school.