Author: Jennifer Winstead

Publisher:

Published: 2009

Total Pages: 340

ISBN-13:

The career development and decision-making process of student-athletes has been found to be a complex process (Brown, Glastetter-Fender, & Shelton, 2000; Lally & Kerr, 2005; and Sandstedt, Cox, Martens, Ward, Webber, & Ivey, 2004). Intertwined with issues not found within the general student population career development and decision-making process, the student-athlete career development and decision-making process is impacted by internal and external forces that included but are not limited to identity, major limitations, intense scheduling, and the need for balancing multiple pressures. Limited research studies have been conducted to solely examine the career development and decision making of Division I female student-athletes. In-depth interviews were conducted with seven high achieving female Division I student athletes attending an institution of higher learning in Mississippi. A phenomenological study employing naturalistic inquiry was used to collect and analyze data about Division I student-athletes experiences and examine in rich detail, the career development and decision-making processes of female Division I student-athletes who attended State University (SU) in Mississippi. Three main themes were identified in speaking with female intercollegiate athletes about their athletics participation and their career development and decision making. Those themes included: "Pre-Baccalaureate Career Development, College Career Development, and Post-Baccalaureate Career Development." Additionally, there were transitional components found between the themes which prompted movement from one theme to the next. The transitional components were "The Recruiting Process and Transferable Skill Application." The data found that there was great nuance and complexity found in the common career development and decision making process of this high achieving subsection of the student-athlete population.