Dual career of the student-athlete through sports technology-oriented entrepreneurship: perception of sport retirement and learning needs according to gender and educational level

This article explores the relationship between student-athletes’ dual careers in the field of technology-focused sport entrepreneurship, with an emphasis on gender and educational dissimilarities in retirement perceptions and learning needs. A sample of 205 student-athletes from five countries (United Kingdom, Spain, Sweden, Norway and Turkey), responded to an ad hoc questionnaire in order to understand athletes’ perceptions of retirement, future aspirations and learning needs with respect to sports technology-oriented entrepreneurship. The findings reveal significant gender and educational differences on post-sporting life perception and professional career expectations, underlining the importance of targeted educational and support interventions. This study contributes to understanding the complexities of student-athletes’ career decisions, especially in the context of the convergence of sport, entrepreneurship and technology.