Involuntary career termination in sport: a case study of the process of structurally induced failure

Sport can be perceived as one of the contemporary key socializing agencies with which a significant number of children and youth come in to contact. The nature of this contact between the institution of sport and the individual is erratic, leading to the, often abrupt and unforeseen, termination of the individual's sporting career. In this essay, our aim is to draw wider attention to the personal adjustments young athletes undergo during and after their career has been institutionally terminated. Our analysis is embedded in theory as well as empirical, qualitative evidence gathered through semi-structured, long interviews with eight ex-varsity athletes. In shedding light on the personal consequences of structurally induced failure in sport, we seek to approach these issues from a socio-psychological angle and examine specific, personal layers of those via the lived experiences of ‘drop-out’ varsity athletes.1 1 The authors would like to acknowledge the massive contribution of Alan G. Ingham to the development and initial phases of this project. Alan played a significant and defining role in our academic development and in our appreciation for both psychology and sociology in scientifically making sense of contemporary sporting practices. Much to our regret, Alan passed away in 2005, but his personal as well as academic heritage has remained with us and will live on through the work of his grateful students and colleagues.