Exploring the potential athletic career frameworks/models for the Whole Nation System (China)

Abstract

In recent years, the Chinese government and people are gradually realizing the importance of physical education, mental health, and the overall development of athletes. In sport psychology, the significance of the athletic career discourse (ACD) has been recognized by sport psychology researchers and practitioners. Some sport psychology scholars have dedicated their efforts to structuring the athletic career knowledge which has been utilized to conduct research to understand athletes’ career development stages and transitions. Furthermore, based on the athletic career research, many intervention programs and strategies have been applied around the world in order to help athletes cope crisis-transitions and strive career excellence both within and outside sports. However, athletic career research has not widely been conducted in mainland China, and there is a need for contextualized athletic career research which is specific to China because athletes’ development will be influenced by the sport systems, societal norms, and culture. In this paper, I found some issues (e.g., low educational level, short lifespan), which are associated with athletic career, of the Whole Nation System and Chinese athletes through understanding the Whole Nation System and a self-reflection. Furthermore, I found several athletic career frameworks/models which may be, in part, suitable to conduct athletic career research for Chinese athletes, through a literature review of athletic career research.