Evaluation of the career planning of athletes, who succeeded in Olympics, in the light of different variables

Abstract

In this study, career planning of Turkish athletes, who won medals in olympics for the periods they played and left sport, are investigated; however, differentiation of career planning dimensions of athletes in terms of demographic and sportive variables is examined as well. This study, which aimed at determining the effectiveness of career planning of Turkish athletes, who have won medals in olympics, based on comments of athletes having olympic ranks, is done in a scanning model and has a descriptive nature. A questionnaire form was prepared by the researcher in line with the purpose of this study. Such a prepared questionnaire form was given to 37 Turkish citizen athletes, who have won medals in olympics and are still alive. The data obtained from the questionnaire were analyzed by the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) 17.0 statistical software in an electronic medium, while Alpha index was utilized in determining the reliability of the questionnaire. Frequency and percentage statistics were used in determining the demographic and sportive profiles. Average and standard deviation statistics were utilized in determining career planning dimension of athletes in periods, when they played and left sport. However, t-test was applied for variables showing a regular distribution, and man-Whitney-u and Kruskall wallis tests were applied for variables not showing a regular distribution in determining the differentiation of career planning dimensions of athletes based on demographic and sportive profiles. As a result of this study, it is concluded that Turkish athletes, who won medals in olympics, did not carry out any effective career planning in terms of sport, and they tend to have different professions other than sport. Nonetheless, it was determined that athletes played sports to the extent that their career planning was well and they obtained feedbacks during these periods. A number of factors affected athletes adversely and as a result, they ended their sport career. It is revealed that career planning of athletes, with respect to their sex, never differed in the period when they left and played sport; though career planning level of women athletes was higher than their men counterparts. More so, the career planning level of athletes, whose educational status is a university degree and a higher degree, is higher than that of athletes whose educational status is high school and lower. Sportive feedbacks of athletes, who have higher income level, are more than those who did not in the period when they played and left sport; whereas sportive feedbacks of athletes, who began to play sport between 5 and 10 years of age, are more than those of athletes, who began to play sport between 11 and 17 years of age. Key words: Career, career planning, sport career, sport organization, olympics, olympic athlete.